A new military decree was issued against the lands of Jayyus and Azzun, Qalqiliay governorate, stating the confiscation of about 80 dunums under the pretext of revising the Wall path in that particular area. The decree which carries the number of T/09/2007 clarified that the target land is located in basin number 3 of Jayyus land and basin number 2 of Azzun land. The land is owned by 11 farmers including the following from Jayyus:

• Mr. Abdul Rahim Suweileh;

• Mr. Qasem Hasan and;

• Mr. Shawkat Samha

 

 

(Photo 1& 2: a copy of the military order)

 

According to the decree, the Wall revision aims at circumventing the Wall agricultural gate number 979 located between Jayyus and Azzun and jointly used by farmers from the two villages to access into their land separated behind the Wall. This means that the gate will be removed and access denied, in addition to the separation of an additional 50 dunums from the land of the two villages.

 

 

(Photo 3 : Jayyus land separated behind the Wall )

 

House to be taken out

In the meanwhile, the house of Mr. Ali Abu Sharib, 61 years old, a father of 11, will be taken out of the Wall after it has been separated from the rest of the village ever since the establishment of the Wall five years ago.

 

Mr. Abu Sharib derives from a Bedouin family and was made refugee at the beginning of the fifties of the last century when he was dismissed out of his land in Bir Shiva' region in southern Israel. He came to settle in Jayyus land where he re-started to rear cattle and cultivate land on lease from Jayyus people. From the very beginning of the construction of the Wall, Mr. Abu Sharib's family became a favorite target for the Israeli soldiers who used all means of terrorism to force the family out of home. Even, the Israeli occupation did their best to bribe Mr. Abu Sharib with money to leave his home, but to no avail. Finally, they decided to alter the path of the Wall and take his home out of it.

 

(Photo 4 : The Wall path was built close to Jayyus houses)

 

Location, population and area

The village of Jayyus is located 8 km to the north east of the city of Qalqiliya. It is adjacent to the green line and parts of its lands fall behind the green line.

 

Jayyus has the population of 3200 inhabitants mostly depending on agriculture and animal breeding as source of living after loosing their jobs inside Israel.

 

(Map 1: location of  Jayyus a7 Azzun))

 

The lands of Jayyus is amongst the most fertile lands in the area. It's total area is 13045 dunums, of which 590 dunums are built up areas, 1500 cultivated with irrigated ground crops and citrus, 300 dunums of agricultural roads, as well as 10655 dunums of olive and almond trees.

 

Jayyus is considered an example and a living witness on the barbarism of Israeli occupation in the region. The Israeli land grab policies and population eviction as a result of the Wall is clearly demonstrated in Jayyus as the village lost more than 8,600 dunums ( 66% of the total) of its lands behind the Wall,  in addition to the destruction of more than 600 dunums ( 9% of the total) under the route of the Wall. This, in turn, led to a real humanitarian crisis for the 3200 residents of the village especially that most of them became dependent on the agriculture sector as the main source of income since they lost their jobs inside the Green Line. Most of the irrigated and un-irrigated agricultural lands which form 90% of the village's general income were separated behind the Wall.

 

While, the village of Azzun is located 10 km to the south east of Qalqiliay city. It has the total population of 650. Its total surface land area is 9140 dunums of which 1525 as built up area.

 

More land devastation

The head of Jayyus municipality Mr. Shawkat Samha confirmed that dozens of olive and almond trees will be destroyed and uprooted under the newly planned Wall path which will lead to further loss of living resources in the two already stricken villages. Moreover, he added, the land area to be devastated under the new Wall plan is bigger than the land area expected to be taken out of the current Wall route. The closure of gate number 979 will, also, increase the suffering of Jayyus and Azzun farmers who want to reach their land on the other side of the Wall.

 

(Photo 5 : Palestinian farmers from Jayyus waiting at an agricultural gate
to enter their land in the other side of the Wall)

 

 

Long legal procedure

The Wall amendment came after a long legal struggle in the Israeli Supreme Court that lasted for almost five years. During this period, seven hearing sessions were held the latest of which was held on March 2nd, 2007 and called for Wall revision.

 

 

 

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC