2011-01-24 19:41

RAMALLAH - The Israeli army seized the Palestinian land in the West Bank to build an airbase despite a Palestinian complaint filed to Israeli courts, a Palestinian researcher said Monday.

The land is located to the south of Hebron city in southern West Bank and its space is about 2,580 square meters, Abdul-Hadi Hantash, researcher of issues related to settlements, told Xinhua.

"The seizure of the land is happening while Israeli courts are looking into a Palestinian appeal to stop the seizure because it is illegal," Hantash said.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967, which was not recognized by the international community.

Building the airbase on the land means that it would be annexed and the surrounding Palestinian areas would "look like a military zone," Hantash said.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stopped in September, when Israel resumed construction in the West Bank settlements after a 10-month freeze.