In continuation of the land confiscation process in the West Bank, the Israeli army issued three new military orders stipulating the confiscation of 14.47 dunums to construct roads in the lands separated behind the Segregation Wall in three villages in Qalqiliya district. The orders were issued on July 18, 2005, by the commander of the Israeli army – central command, Ya'ir Neve. The military orders stated that the confiscations were done for security and military purposes, that is, to open roads between the existing Israeli settlements and the Wall as followed:
1. Military Order number T/120/05: stipulates the confiscation of 1.2 dunums from Kafr Thuluth lands, basin number 3, the area of Az Zarzur (located between Izbat Salamn and Izbat Jal'ud) for the purpose of constructing a road to link the Israeli settlement of Nirit inside the Green Line with the Palestinian lands separated behind the Wall; See photo 1: copy of military order No. T/120/05.
2. Military Order number T/121/05: stipulates the confiscation of 9.2 dunums from Habla lands, basins number 7640 and 7641 (located between Ras Atiya and Izbat Jal'ud for the purpose of constructing a road to link the Israeli settlement of Nahal Yarhiv inside the Green Line and the Palestinian lands separated behind the Wall. See photo 2: copy of military order No. T/121/05.
3. Military Order number T/107/05 stipulates the confiscation of 4,07 dunums from Mas-ha lands, basins number 2 and 3, for the purpose of constructing a road between the Israeli Settlement of Etz Efrayim near the village of Siniriya and the Wall. See photo 3: copy of military order No. T/107/05.T/107/05
Not forgetting to mention that the total land area separated behind the Wall from the above mentioned Palestinian villages is 6566 dunums. See Map 1
Impacts of the Israeli Military orders on Palestinian lands:
1. The opening of the roads will damage the targeted lands in two ways: Firstly, the lands will be devastated under the path of the proposed roads; secondly; once these roads have been established, security zones will be announced along both sides of the roads where no body will be allowed entry.
2. Once the Israeli Settlements are connected to the lands behind the Wall, it will facilitate the annexation of this land into the settlements and expedites the Israelization process at the expense of Palestinian property.
3. The opening of the proposed roads will link the existing settlements with each others and with Israel. It will, also, make these settlements ready for horizontal expansion, and probably, new Israeli settlements under new names will be established at the separated Palestinian lands, given the fact that a new settlement usually starts with a new road.
Disclosure of real intentions:
This Israeli measure came two weeks after the burning of thousands of dunums of Palestinian agricultural lands behind the Wall in Tulkarem district (for related information, see case study ' Separated Palestinian lands are now targeted by fire ', August, 2005. It also came after the issuance of a number of military orders last year and this year barring Palestinian building and use of land at a depth of 150 meters along the eastern bank of the Wall path (see copies of the attached orders numbers 05/05 5763-2000 and S/05/05 ).
Photo 4 & 5: copies of military orders No. (05/05 5763-2000) and (S/05/05)) and ()
It seems that the Israeli occupation authorities have openly and defiantly started to uncover their real intentions behind setting up the Wall: to grab more Palestinian lands and annex them into Israel. This, once again, proves the trueness of warnings extended by Palestinians to the whole world that the real aim behind constructing the Segregation Wall was not security as Israeli pretends, but, to confiscate as much lands as possible.
It, also, invalidates the wrong notion that the Wall is a border line between the Palestinian and Israeli states. It is simply a nonstop process of land seizure, annexation and expansion.
It is worth mentioning that the victims had objected the orders to the Israeli government's legal advisor but the legal advisor's answer was negative under the pretext that 'the roads are planned to be built for security and military purposes and the Israeli law, international law as well as military laws allowed such things to happen'.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
