Trilford, Harris and Cuda. 2025. The Islands of Occupied Palestine: Analyzing the Urbicide and Spatial Disruption of the Israeli Apartheid Wall in the West Bank through Space Syntax Analysis Case Studies of Qalqilya and Abu Dis. Depthmap Models

AbstractSpatial networks and street infrastructures are analyzed as orchestrated architectures of violence weaponized by the Israeli Occupation’s Apartheid Wall as a tool for urbicide in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Utilizing space syntax analysis, this study reveals how the Wall alters urban spatial configurations, mobility and accessibility, contributing to the discourse on urbicide by uncovering the systemic, covert spatial violence often overshadowed by overt military actions.Space syntax analysis has been applied to other partitioned cities, such as Berlin, Belfast, and Beirut, demonstrating how division lines control movement. This method is used to map the street networks of two West Bank sites with and without the Wall: Qalqilya and Abu Dis. These sites, selected for their urban disruption and data availability from GEOMOLG and OpenStreetMap exemplify varying degrees of division and spatial violence.Qalqilya's near-complete encirclement by the Wall highlights severe isolation, drastically reducing accessible routes and severing economic and social links. Abu Dis faces disconnect from Jerusalem, impacting essential access to healthcare, education, and employment. The study underscores the Wall's contribution to urbicide by diminishing urban vitality and resilience.