The annual report of the UN Conference on Trade and Development has detailed Israel's public theft of natural resources in the West Bank depriving Palestinians from revenues of $3,5 billion every year.
A letter to the press stated that Israel incurred on 62% of West Bank lands, which are lands and natural resources, and deprived Palestinians from using them.
It also reported that Israel uses 39% of area C land to build illegal settlements and 20% to build military bases. It also pointed out that Israel allocated 13% of area C for establishing natural reserves which equally prevent Palestinians from exploiting their land.
The Hebrew business newspaper, Calcalist, said that the Israeli Land Authority marketed a total of 2,300 housing units in settlements in the West Bank since the beginning of the year;  an increase of more than 10-fold from last year.
The report pointed out that Netanyahu's government sent a clear message that it is pushing ahead with its settlements projects despite protests from the international community.
Land seizures have been ongoing in the wake of the Israeli offensive on Gaza, with the 1,000 acres taken west of Bethlehem representing the largest theft of land in 30 years,
The Adva Center recently noted that over the last two decades, the population of Israel has grown by sixty percent. The greatest rate of growth – 240 percent - was registered in the settlements.