The Israeli Occupation orders the Stoppage of a Land Rehabilitation Project in ‘Aqraba Town

Violation: the stoppage of a land rehabilitation project.

Location: the south side of ‘Aqraba.

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Organization and Construction Committee.

Date: March 21, 2011.

 

As part of the Israeli overall land confiscation policy, and days after the uprooting of more than 350 olive seedlings by Israeli colonists, seedlings that were planted as part of the “Agricultural Rehabilitation Program” implemented by the Agricultural Work Committees, the so-called Israeli Organization and Construction Committee ordered the immediate stoppage of the execution of the program claiming that the area were the project is implemented is “state land” and the Palestinians do not have the right to exploit it.

 

The targeted lands are the property of Mr. Mohammad Hasan (46) who owns 8 dunums and Mr. Hani Bani Fadel (57) who owns around 10 dunums.

 

 

According to the Israeli orders, the perpetrators Must evacuate the lands and return it to its status quo. A hearing session was set on April 11, 2011, in Beit El Military Court.

 

 

‘Aqraba has been a victim for a long time whether by confiscating most of its lands and turning it into mine fields or military training grounds. Also, the village has lost huge parts of its lands for Israeli colonial expansion purposes besides depriving the villagers from the basic needs for living including water and electricity and disallowing them from exploiting their fields. According to ‘Aqraba land registries, the village total area is 144 thousand dunums, mostly, agricultural lands.

 

However, the Israeli Occupation announced more than 110 thousand dunums of the village lands to be military zone where Palestinians are not allowed to exploit in any way while soaking the area with various colonies including:

1.     Tumer: an agricultural colony, established in 1977; by 2008, it was resided by 303 Israelis.

2.     Jitit: established in 1973, it was resided by 191 Israelis in 2005; its total area is 1720 dunums and is located 37 km away from the “Armistice Line”.

3.     Itmar extension: established in 1984, it was resided by 651 Israelis in 2005; its total area is 7189 dunums and is located 28 km away from the “Armistice Line”.

4.     Ma’ale Afraym: established in 1970, it was resided by 1423 Israelis in 2005; its total area is 4778 dunums.

5.     Mikura: established in 1969, it was resided by 304 Israelis in 2005.

The colonies are expanding on daily basis; they are classified as “agricultural settlements”; in addition, the Israelis have placed numerous watch towers and military encampments in order to control the whole region. In 1969, ‘Aqraba witnessed the milling of by-pass road “506” which connects all the Israeli colonies to the east of ‘Aqraba besides easing the movement of the Israeli Occupation Army vehicles in the area; however, the Palestinians are not allowed to even get near the road.

More than 500 Palestinians are residing in nomads gathering around ‘Aqraba; the residents of these gathering face day-to-day threats against their houses, tents, shacks; basically, their existence. Additionally, the Israeli colonists try to chase these people out of their fields in an attempt to take over the area. ‘Aqraba is inhabited by around 9000 people with unemployment reaching 34% because of the hard conditions imposed by the Occupiers.