How Israel’s ‘Blue Line’ team seizes Palestinian land in the West Bank

Al-Mughayyir, occupied West Bank – As the October olive harvest approaches, Bilal Abu Alia stands near his home, gazing at his family’s land – territory he says Israeli authorities have taken from his family in the Palestinian village of al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah.Of their original 0.4sq km (100 acres) of land, Bilal explains that his family can now only access a small area that includes their home and a few olive trees.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Al Jazeera rejects Netanyahu’s attack on journalists in UN speechlist 2 of 3Timeline: Man City’s Premier League financial charges to reported verdictlist 3 of 3Ed Sheeran concerts at Robert Kraft stadiums cancelled over weatherend of listLand confiscation in the occupied West Bank doesn’t always begin with a direct seizure. In many instances, the process starts with the redesignation and demarcation of land on official Israeli maps, with the Israeli Civil Administration’s “Blue Line Team” playing an important role.According to a report published in mid-September by the National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements, a body affiliated with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the Blue Line team ...