RAMALLAH, March 30, 2011 (WAFA) - Israel has expropriated around four million dunums of West Bank land since 1967 under different pretexts, Wednesday said the department of International Relations of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

It said in a press release marking the 35th anniversary of Land Day that Israel expropriated 1,250,000 dunums (1 dunum equals 1000 square meters) of state land, 1,200,000 dunums of natural reserves and 450,000 dunums of absentee property.

It said 500,000 dunums were also expropriated by military orders and another 500,000 dunums by Jewish settlers on which they constructed 470 settlements and settlement outposts, which house 517,000 settlers.

The department said that Israel controls over 86% of the area of East Jerusalem, which it uses to construct and expand settlements, depriving Palestinians, the legitimate owners, from their rights and property.

R.S./F.R.