Israeli Notices to stop work on agricultural facilities in Al Baluta Valley west of Idhna town

February 2, 2010

On November 11, 2009, the Israeli Occupation authorities handed over the citizen Yasser Mohamed Ismail Aslimiya from Idhna village, west of Hebron, notifications requiring work stoppage in a water well and agricultural chamber.

An Israeli military jeep accompanied by another jeep for the so-called Israeli civil administration in the West Bank arrived at the land of Mr. Aslimiya located in the oak valley west of the town and handed over the notification which indicated that the reason behind that is the lack of license.

Speaking to LRC field researcher, Mr. Islimiya gave the following account: ‘ The Israeli officer asked me if I had got a building license for the well and the chamber. My answer to him was that the occupation authorities do not grant any licenses, so how can I get such a license?! And he replied that I should show up at the ‘Beit Eil’ colony in the northern outskirts of Ramallah city on December 3, 2009, where the main headquarters of the ‘ civil administration’ is located in order to present my objection to the halt of construction notification’.

Introduction to the notified structures:

The Well: It was dug up in the year 2007 at the depth of 11.5 meters where a small spring was unearthed and been operational ever since irrigating Mr. Islimiya’s four dunums of land (1 dunum = 1000 m²⁾) all planted with vegetables. This land is the only source of living for the victim’s family formed of 12 members.

Photo 1: Mr. Islimiya’s notified well.

Photo 2: A copy of the notification order.

The Chamber: Is a 20 m2 store for agricultural purposes which was built in 2006,

Photo 3: Mr. Islimiya’s notified chmber.

Photo 4: A copy of the notification order.

Mr. Islimiya questioned the extent of the danger posed by the water well and chamber on Israel, especially as the family of 12 individuals makes a living on the cultivation of their land.

It is worth noting here that Mr. Aslimiya had lost his eldest son, Mu’tasem, at the age of twenty on 11.8.2009, after the Israeli army raided their residential area and began shooting and firing sound bombs, resulting in Mu’tasim, who fled screaming from his bed on his roof to fall down and face death on the spot. The grief seemed clear in the face of Mu’tasem’s father, as his deceased eldest son was preparing to get married in a week of his death.

Mr. Islimiya confirmed that the farmers of the oak valley are very much worried about further harassment on the part of the occupation authorities, recalling Martyr Yasser Tameezi who was shoot dead at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces early last year when he was tending his land in the same area.

A brief over view on the oak valley

It is located in the west of the town of Idhna, stretching at the length of three km form the edge of the town to the path of the Segregation Wall. The valley is famous for its soil fertility and abundance of groundwater water and surface springs. Usually, it is planted with fruit trees and vegetables and it both sides are used for grazing.

Photo 5+6: General views of the oak valley

A glimpse on Idhna town:

The town is located 17 kilometers west of Hebron city on road number 35. Its total land area is 21.527 dunums of which 2,653 dunums designed for construction ( built up zone). At the end of 2007, the population of the town was 19,012 people. Approximately 3,468 dunums of fertile agricultural land or 16% of the town’s total area was either destroyed under the path of the Wall or separated behind it.