Since 1967, Israel has designated roughly 18–20% of the West Bank (nearly 30% of Area C) as firing zones.[7] In these zones, any civilian presence or construction without special permission is forbidden by military order.[7] Despite the restrictions, dozens of longstanding Palestinian communities—over 5,000 people in 38 villages as of recent counts—live inside these areas.[7]
Israeli firing zones in the West Bank continue to be a contentious issue, with implications for military policy, settlement expansion, and human rights. While Israel argues these areas are necessary for security, international bodies widely view them as mechanisms of land control that contribute to displacement and restrict Palestinian development. According to Amnesty International the "Israeli army routinely demolishes Palestinian homes and structures in these "firing zones"; by contrast, the Israel authorities have changed the status of some "of these "firing zones" to allow for the expansion of Israeli settlements located partially or completely in them."[1] The eviction of Palestinians in these areas has been critized by the United Nations, human rights organizations like B'Tselem, Bimkom and Human Rights Watch, and the European Union.[8][9]
History
After the 1967 Six-Day War and Israel's occupation of the West Bank, the Israeli military began designating large tracts of land as closed military areas. Between August 1967 and 1975, about 150,000 hectares (over 25% of the West Bank) were classified as military zones.
By the end of 1967, nearly 68,500 hectares were restricted. Areas such as the Jordan Valley and the Latrun region were among the first to be closed.
In a 1979 meeting, then-Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon revealed that many firing zones were designated with the explicit intent of reserving land for future Israeli settlements. Sharon stated that:
As the person who initiated the military fire zones in 1967, they were all intended for one purpose: to provide an opportunity for Jewish settlement in the area. As soon as the Six-Day War ended, I was still sitting with my division in Sinai. I was in Sinai when I drew up these zones. The firing zones were created for one purpose: land reserves for settlements.[10]
In 2012, 900 dunams from a firing zone were given to Sha'arei Tikva, an Israeli settlement founded in 1983.[11]
In 2014 it was reported that 35,000 dunums of "firing zone" land was being surveyed for the building of Israeli settlements.[11]
In 2015, Israel officially removed the firing zone designation from part of Firing Zone 912 to allow the expansion of Ma'ale Adumim settlement.
List
Below is a breakdown of notable Israeli firing zones in the West Bank:
Firing Zone
Geographic Area
Date of Designation
Estimated Palestinian Population at Designation
Current Population
Firing Zone 901
Northern Jordan Valley
1968
Few dozen families
~70 people in Khirbet Yarza
Firing Zone 902
Northern Jordan Valley
1970s
Small herding groups
Mostly seasonal presence
Firing Zone 903
Um Zukka (Jordan Valley)
1972
Few hundred
Few dozen, area incorporated into Israeli settlement farmlands
Under international law, the forced displacement of protected persons in occupied territory is prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Critics argue that these zones are used as a tool to control Palestinian land and facilitate Israeli settlement expansion.
Israel asserts that firing zones are essential for military training live-fire exercises.
Impact on Palestinian communities
The establishment of firing zones has had severe consequences, including:
Mass Evictions: Entire communities, such as in Masafer Yatta, face forced removals.
Demolitions: Homes and infrastructure, including schools, are frequently destroyed.
Restricted Movement: Villagers are periodically forced to evacuate for military exercises.
Economic Disruption: Shepherding and agriculture, primary livelihoods for many affected, are heavily restricted.
References
1 2 "Israel's apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity". Amnesty International. 1 February 2022. p.144. Retrieved 9 March 2025. As of the end of 2017, nearly 50% of the Jordan Valley had been designated as state land, while 46% had been declared a "closed military area", including "firing zones" and settlements' jurisdictional areas, effectively making it off-limits to Palestinians. Some 20% was allocated to nature reserves; two thirds of this land were also declared military "firing zones". Many of these "firing zones" are placed in some of the most marginalized communities in the Jordan Valley. The Israeli army routinely demolishes Palestinian homes and structures in these "firing zones"; by contrast, the Israel authorities have changed the status of some "of these "firing zones" to allow for the expansion of Israeli settlements located partially or completely in them.
↑ "Firing zones and risk of forcible transfer". United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - occupied Palestinian territory. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
↑ Raz, Eyal (29 August 2012). "1,500 Palestinians face expulsion to make way for IDF 'Firing Zone 918'". +972 Magazine. Retrieved 9 March 2025. Since Oslo, almost two decades ago, Israel has cemented a consistent policy in Area C, the goal of which is the deepening and eternalizing of Israeli control over the area. This policy both unilaterally determines the future of the West Bank, and diminishes Palestinians' ability to live in Area C. This policy is enacted through a number of different methods: * The confiscation of land and the declaration of lands as 'State Lands' * Lack of Master Plans and the and the systematic non-provision of building permits to Palestinians in the Occupied Territories * The declaration of National Parks and Nature Reserves * Military confiscation orders to build the separation barrier and along the Seam Line * Sealing off territory and declaring it as an 'Army Training Zone': About 18 percent of the West Bank has been declared a 'firing Zone.' which is slightly more than the entire territory contained in Area A, where all of the major Palestinian cities are located. Five thousand people from 38 different communities live on these lands. Most of them lived there before their land was declared a 'firing zone.'
1 2 Levinson, Chaim (9 December 2014). "IDF Earmarking West Bank Firing Zones for Settler Expansion, Figures Show". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 9 March 2025. The Civil Administration has in recent years earmarked 35,000 dunams (8,650 acres) of land currently defined as military firing zones to expand settlements and outposts, according to a settlement-tracking researcher's analysis of its figures. Dror Etkes has analyzed the extensive geographical information in the hands of the Civil Administration and says it shows that the administration has been surveying and mapping the old state lands recently, although these are firing zones. Since 1999, a Civil Administration team – known as the "blue line team" – has been using advanced digital methods to reaffirm the boundaries of the state lands. So far, 260,000 dunams have been mapped throughout the West Bank – 35,000 dunams of which are in firing zones. In the 1970s, approximately 1 million dunams of land in the West Bank were declared firing zones for the exclusive use of the Israel Defense Forces. Until the 1990s, these areas were used extensively for training. However, after the IDF moved training bases to southern Israel following the Oslo Accords, the use of firing zones in the West Bank declined and most are now abandoned or used only sporadically for training. Nevertheless, the IDF is still keeping Palestinians out of these areas and demolishing buildings that are sometimes erected there.
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