The Israeli Occupation issues a stop-work order against a mosque and a number of agricultural structures

Violation: stop-work orders against a mosque and 6 agricultural structures.

Violators: the Israeli Occupation Construction and Organization Committee.

Victims: Khrbit Yirza Mosque and 6 agricultural structures.

Date: July 30, 2010.

 

The Israeli Occupation so-called Construction and Organization Committee handed 6 residents of Khirbit Yirza stop-work orders targeting their agricultural structures. In addition, they aimed at a mosque that is supposed to be ready for use in August, 2010.

 

The Israelis justified that by claiming that the structures are located in area classified ‘C’ according to Oslo Agreement. It must be mentioned that the threatened structures were agricultural ones and their construction was funded by the PA through “the Deprived Families in the Valley Fund”.

 

The PA intended to consolidate the struggle of the residents of the area who are facing an Israeli plan to cleanse the area from its Arab residents.

 

Yirza’s lands are Palestinian properties, the owners have deeds issued by the Ottomans proving their ownership. In addition, the area is considered “country root”, meaning that it is one of the oldest inhabited villages in the area.

 

Nevertheless, this did not spare the village structures; all of Yirza’s structures have received demolition orders and many were already demolished after the establishment of the PA in 1993.

 

The only worshipping place in the village, an under-construction mosque, was not spared as well; defying all the international laws calling for the protection of the sacred sites and structures.

 

The Israelis gave the owners till August 18, 2010, the date of the hearing session in Beit El Military Court, to acquire the needed permits.

 

Mr. Omar Einyabosi, a resident of Yirza and the head of the Projects Committee in the village stated to an LRC observer: “the Israeli Occupation policy of cleansing the Jordan Valley is unstoppable; like any other bedwins, the residents of Yirza have always been a target of the Israelis who recognize no rules or international laws which calls for not changing the shape of the village. So, the Israelis ordered the destruction of 6 agricultural structures, funded by the PA, in addition to the only mosque in the village which was constructed by the collective efforts of the residents. Moreover, the Israeli soldiers show up everyday, threaten us of deportation or even death. Also, they confiscate the cattle, which is our sole source of income claiming that we are residing in a closed “military zone”. I do not really know when did the lands of our ancestors, the lands that we have been planting for years has become the Occupation’s lands? And now, we, the owners, have become strangers that need to be cleansed.”

No	Victim	Number of structures	Area (m2)	Family members	Children	Structure type	comments
1	Fawzi Einyabosi	1	150	10	5	barn	Picture 1
2	Tamim Masa’eed	1	145	8	3	barn	Picture 2
3	Hafiz Masa’eed	1	130	4	2	barn
4	Mohammad Masa’eed	1	150	3	–	barn	An elderly suffering from diseases Picture 3
5	Mis’ada Shreida	1	70	4	–	barn	An Elderly
6	Hasan ‘Einyabosi	1	150	6	4	barn
7	The Mosque	1	100				Under construction Picture 4
8	The Mosque Water Circulates	1	14				Under construction Picture 5
Total		8	909	35	14

 

Yirza is located 10 km away from Tubas Governorate, in Al Buqe’a Plain. 12 families (100 people )reside in the area, these are the remains of its original population, counting hundreds, and used to plant the 25000 dunums area including 283 dunums classified as “country root”.

 

However, the Israeli measures forced most of its population to leave.

 

Suffering is part of the Palestinians’ lives. It has many shapes but can be found in every aspect of their lives. Yirza is considered a closed “military zone”. The area is used for shooting exercises besides other military usages.

 

It is believed that the Israelis ae interested in the area because of its hilly nature and is used to simulate southern Lebanon region. Such military drills added to the agony of the people either directly or indirectly because of the leftovers the exercises.  In addition to the siege of Khirbit Yirza and disallowing people in and out.

 

The remains of the Israeli simulations in the area have left many dead or injured. Some Palestinians were injured as a direct result of the exercises; others were hit by the bombs and land mines that the Israelis intentionally leave in the area.

 

 
Picture 7: Hafiz Masa’eed lost a leg because of land mine