The Israeli bulldozers and big hammers are working day and night in the construction of the Segregation Wall to the west of the village of Deir Samit in Hebron Governorate. These works have led to the devastation and destruction of large areas of fertile agricultural lands cultivated with olive, almond, fig and grape trees.

Deir Samit is located 20 km to the west of the city of Hebron with a population of 6000. It is located 6 km to the east of the green line.

 

Map 1: The village of Deir Samit which is located 6 km to the east of the green line.:
The village of Deir Samit which is located 6 km to the east of the green line.

 

During the first week of September 2003, the Israeli occupation authorities began to build the Wall in Hebron governorate around the settlements of Kiriayt Arba' and Kharsina at the expense of Palestinian owned land. Most of the sections of the Wall in that area have been built at the length of 10 km and width ranging from 10-20 meters. For related information, click here.

Field visit

Following the suicide attack in Beir Sheva' on August 31st, 2004,  the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon carried out a secret field visit to the southern part of Hebron  governorate to discuss the projected Wall path with his military aides. Following this visit, he issued instructions to expedite the construction of the Wall in that area of the West Bank.

According to Israeli sources, most parts of the Wall in Hebron governorate will be built of electrified fences, while the in the populated areas it will be built out of concrete at a height of 8 meters. 

Deir Samit is facing third catastrophe

The construction of the Wall represents a third catastrophe to the village and residents of Deir Samit.  

In an interview conducted by LRC field worker with Mr. Mohammed Qader  Abdul Hadi Al Hurub, he said the following: ' Before 1948 I lived with my family in Khirbet 'Ashbur which is located just on the green line at the distance of 6 km to the west of Deir Samit. During the war, we were dismissed out of the village and took refuge to Deir Samit. We became refugees ever since. The village's lands before the War were 2500 dunums. After the war, only 1500 dunums remained in West Bank proper. We had to face another tragedy in 1967 following the occupation of the West Bank. Ever since, the Israeli army  and settlers started to harass us and prevent us from reaching our lands and grazing cattle. Our third catastrophe is manifested in the construction of the Wall which will deduct not less than 1000 dunum of our remaining fertile agricultural lands. With this latest action, only 600 dunum will remain under our disposal.'

 (Photo # 2)

Deir Samit- Hebron – A devastated olive orchard belonging to  Mr.  Mohammed Qader Al Hurub, Photo courtesy of LRC

 

Mr. Mohammed Qader went on to say: ' We were surprised at the beginning of this month (September 2004) when shepherds from Deir Samit informed us that the Israeli army conveyed verbal messages asking us to attend a meeting that will be held on our land with representatives of Israeli army. I went to this meeting accompanied by other land owners. There, we were told by army officers that the Wall will be built a 100 meter inside our land in West Bank proper. In the second day, Israeli surveyors arrived at the scene and put marks as far as  700 meter inside our lands at the length of one km. This action was contradictory to what we had heard from army officers just one day before. As a result, we felt shocked and we started our legal and anti Wall actions in an attempt to stop them from stealing what has remained of our lands and sources of living'.

The following is a list of some affected land owners from Deir Samit   village: 

No.	Name of victim	No. of dunum	No. of extended Families.
1	Mohammed Qader Abdul Hadi Al Hurub	140	40
2	Mazen Qader Al Hurub	30	7
3	Abdul Hamid Qader Al Hurub	30	10
4	Isa Qader Al Hurub	30	15
5	Abdul Qader Abdul Hadi Al Hurub	100	35
6	Mohammed Ahmad Isma'il	30	20
7	Mustafa Mohammed Isma'il	10	15
8	Ahmad Mohammed Sulieman	5	10
9	Abdul Hadi Sulieman Al Hurub	5	30
10	The daughters of Mohammed Ahamd Lafi	20	100
11	Hasan Abdul Rahman Al Hurub	15	22
12	Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Hurub	20	20
13	Abdul Fattah Abudl Rahman Al Hurub	10	12
14	Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al Hurub	32	30
15	Khalil Mohammed Ahamd Al Hurub	70	40
16	Ibrahim Mohammed Ahamd Lafi	70	35
17	Taleb Ibrahim Mohammed Lafi	5	12
18	Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Lafi	5	15
19	Salman Mohammed Sulieman	5	10
20	Sulieman Mohammed Sulieman Al Hurub	5	10
21	Abdul Hafiz Sulieman Al Hurub	5	20
22	Omer Mohammed Sulieman	5	13
23	Jamil Mohammed Isma'il	5	11
24	Mahmud Mohammed Isma'il	5	10
25	Omer Hussein Abdul Rahman	10	10
Total		667	552

 

Anti Wall activities

A series of demonstrations, protests and marches were held in the affected area and attended by local land owners, foreign and Israeli supporters. These actions were forcibly quelled by the Israeli army and security personnel using tear gas, rubber bullets, stick, sound and sound bombs. As a result, a number of protesters were injured or arrested. Now, the whole area was announced as a closed military zone prohibiting any entry into it. 

Legal procedures

Deir Samit land owners presented all needed ownership documents to the layers of the Land Defense Committee based in Hebron city. So far, no decision has been taken in favor of the victims. Meanwhile, Israeli bulldozers are working non stop despite all protests and actions.  

 

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC