JERUSALEM, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Around 40 percent of Israeli settlements, including long-standing communities, were built on private Palestinian land, said a report released on Tuesday by Israeli settlement watchdog group Peace Now.

   "We are talking about an institutional land grab," Dror Etkes, director of Peace Now's Settlements Watch Project, said in a press conference held in Jerusalem, adding that the land in question amounted to 60 square km.

   "About 130 settlements were constructed either entirely or partially on private Palestinian land. Around 60 square km of land used by the settlements is actually private Palestinian land," the report claimed.

   The report singles out the two largest settlements, both of which have city status, saying that 86.4 percent of Ma'ale Adumim, and 35.1 percent of Ariel settlement, were built on Palestinian land.

   The report pointed out that "the vast majority of settlement construction was done against the law of the land and the Supreme Court ruling and therefore unauthorized...The state has been taking advantage of the weakened status of the Palestinians in order to steal their land."

   Peace Now said it had forwarded the information to Attorney General Meni Mazuz, asking him to order an immediate investigation into the findings and bring those responsible to justice.