Posted June 07, 2017 10:36:37

Photo: A worker carries wine boxes for export at Shiloh Wineries, located in an Israeli settlement. (Reuters: Baz Ratner, file photo)

Amnesty International has called for an international ban on all goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements to mark 50 years of occupation of Palestinian territories.

"The international community must put an end to the multi-million-dollar profits that have fuelled mass human rights violations against Palestinians," Amnesty International said in a statement.

June 5, 1967 was the beginning of the Six-Day War in the Middle East, which ended with Israel's army capturing the West Bank.

Now in 2017, some 2.5 million Palestinians continue to live under Israeli control in the territory, despite the settlements being deemed illegal under international law.

"For decades, the world has stood by as Israel has destroyed Palestinians' homes and plundered their land and natural resources for profit," Amnesty International secretary-general Salil Shetty said.

"While the Palestinian economy has been stunted by 50 years of abusive policies, a thriving multi-million-dollar settlement enterprise has been built out of the systematic oppression of the Palestinian population."

Palestinians in the West Bank have now spent 50 years under Israeli military control. Their lives filled with checkpoints, walls, and patrols.

Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem over 1967 lines are considered illegal under international law and have been consistently condemned by the United Nations and international community.

"Fifty years on, merely condemning Israel's settlement expansion is not enough," Mr Shetty said.

"It's time for states to take concrete international action to stop the financing of settlements, which themselves flagrantly violate international law and constitute war crimes."

The settlements on Palestinian territories have long been considered a major obstacle to achieving peace in the regions, as an end to occupation has been maintained as a pre-condition to resuming peace talks.

The last round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks stalled in 2014, and there have been no serious attempts to restart negotiations.

The Embassy of Israel in Australia has been contacted for comment.

Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, territorial-disputes, human, israel, palestinian-territory-occupied