Eviction orders against a number of structures in Ibziq village

Violation: Issuing two eviction orders against two structures for being in a ‘military zone’.

Location: Ibziq, northern Tubas.

 

 

Date: February 18, 2010.

Victims: a number of Ibziq residents.

Violators: the Israeli Occupation Civil Administration.

 

The Central Inspection Committee in the Israeli Occupation Civil Administration handed 3 Palestinians, residents of Ibziq eviction orders. The orders force the Palestinians to immediately evacuate their lands and shelters because, according to the Israeli Occupation Army, it is a ‘military zone’ and Palestinians are not allowed to exploit that area. It can only be used for military purposes or Israeli colonial expansion.

 

Victim	Area (m2)	Number of structures	Family members	Number of children	Structure type	picture
Mohammad Jabarin	75	1	10	7	Tent
	110	2	–	–	Traditional stove, barn
‘Issa Jabarin	62	2	7	5	Tent, traditional stove
‘Ali Jabarin	70	1	10	6	Tent
	96	2	–	–	Traditional stove, barn
Total	413	8	27	19

 

 

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It must be pointed that the committee gave the owners a 3 days indulgence period which must be used to dismantle the structures. However, if the owners do not comply, the committee threatened to demolish the structures on the owners’ expense which drove them to comply.

 

The Israeli Occupation engineering brigades started taking pictures of Ibziq area and measuring the area from the Jordan valley to Matalla village in Jenin. The Israelis completed the wall section there in 2003. The Israeli teams took measurements according to maps they had, the teams took measurements in the area adjacent to the segregation wall which points out the intention of completing the wall section in the area near Ibziq. The point of the segregation wall construction in the area is isolating the valley area from its Palestinian surrounding.

 

During the ruling era of the former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon, the Israelis revealed the intention of excluding the valley area from any possible compromise with the Palestinian. The Israelis have turned Al Hamra and Al Tayasir checkpoints into international crossings and made trenches and watch towers along the path between both checkpoints prior to the wall construction.

 

On the other hand, the Israeli Occupation Authorities informed the nomads living in the area that they are disallowed to exploit more than 5000 dunums of land located near the Jordan valley and that the area is a ‘military zone’. The same area is registered as part of Tubas Governorate since the Jordanian regime of the West Bank before the Israeli conquest in 1967.

 

Such move will terribly damage the agricultural growth in the area. In addition, it will have disastrous effects on the lives of the nomads dwelling in the area. These nomads depend largely on agricultural and livestock in living, however, the Israeli Occupation Army consider their existence illegal since they reside in a ‘military zone’.

 

 

 

It is one of many nomads’ gatherings in the area like Khirbit Samra, Khirbit kashda, and many others. The nomads dwelling in the area lead a very simple life; they build their houses using wood and sackcloth and they have no electricity nor water or telephone networks.

 

Many families live in the area, 38 families that include 256 people. About 16 families settled in the area. However, the others are groups of globetrotter nomads. It must be pointed that two thirds of the dwellers are from Hrub clan, the Hrub’s are originally from areas inside the green line; they are refugees who gathered with searchers of water and grazing areas from other families and settled in the area.

 

The total area of Ibziq is 8000 dunums, 5000 dunums are property of the Jordanian state and the nomads are disallowed to exploit it since it is considered an Israeli ‘military zone’ and a ‘training ground’. Any Palestinian that shows up in the area might endanger his life.

 

 

 

The section of the segregation wall constructed in the area isolated an addition 1000 dunums. Most of Ibziq lands are located under Tubas Governorate jurisdiction. However, part of it is considered part of Irba village in Jenin.

 

These nomads have been living in Khirbit Ibziq long before the Israeli invasion of the West Bank in 1967. The harmless and simple peasants depend solely on farming and grazing on their living.