Susiya Colonists convert Palestinian lands into herding ground

Violation: turning Palestinian lands into herding areas.

Perpetrators: Susiya colonists.

Location: southern Yatta town.

Date: March 20,2011.

 

 

Susiya colonists released their herds in Palestinian lands edging the colony built over Palestinian lands.

According to the owners, an Israeli colonists released around 200 goats in the Palestinian fields planted with yeast on March 20, 2011. They added than soon afterwards, several other colonists did the same releasing more than hundred goats in the area, consuming and destroying the fields.

 

It must be noted that the fields belong to members of Al Nawaj’a family who reside in the Palestinian Khirbit Susiya and who depend in farming and herding on their living. Part of the land was captured by an Israeli colonists a year earlier; the colonists planted the land with grapes; taking care of it while gaining full protection by the Israeli Army watch tower in the area.

 

Table 1: victims and lands:

 

No	Name	Age	Occupation	Family members	Area	plants
1	Mohammad A Al Nawaj’a	65	Farmer	5	20	yeast
2	Fawziyyah Shreteh	55	Housewife	8	5	yeast
3	Mohammad K Al Nawaj’a	55	farmer	10	2	Yeast and olives
4	Ismael Al Nawaj’a	65	Farmer	8	10	Yeast
5	Sarah Al Nawaj’a	55	Housewife	4	7	yeast

 

 

The aggression resulted in the loss of some lands and the loss of a great deal of herding areas. The Palestinians desperately filed a complaint to the Israeli Occupation Police but their efforts were futile. On the other hand, Susiya colonists captured a 10-dunum-field in the southern part of Khirbit Susiya; the colonists plowed the field and planted it. The field is the property of Shihda al Nawaj’a and is full of olive trees.

Mohammad al Nawaj’a (30) tried to explain the colonists techniques in capturing lands; he said that the colonists simply choose the land, plow it, and plant it. This requires the owner to head to Israeli Courts to file a complaint and demand prohibiting the colonists from entering it.

 

However, when the owner tried to stop the colonists, Israeli troops appeared informing him that the colonist is going to exploit the land this year and that he [the owner] will be able to plant it next year. It is evident that the Israeli Courts are conspiring with the colonists despite confirming the ownership of the Palestinians.