Israelis plow lands and uproot trees in Al Khader – Bethlehem Governorate

Israelis plow lands and uproot trees in Al Khader – Bethlehem Governorate
Violation: plowing lands and uprooting grape trees.
Location: Al Khader – Bethlehem Governorate.
Date: March 29, 2011.
Perpetrators: Israeli colonists.
Victims: Fawwaz Sbeih, Issa Shihada, Mousa Shihada, Ibrahim Shihada, Solomon Shihada, Khalid Sbeih, and Taleb Sbeih.
 
 
Preface:
Al Khader is located 5 km to the west of Bethlehem city; it is connected by a road to the main road, Jerusalem – Hebron road which connects it to the surrounding cities. It is administered by a local council and is named after Saint George (Al Khader in Arabic). The village holds within a football stadium, a donation of the Portuguese Government; the work in the stadium started in 2000 through Bethlehem 2000  project, however, the construction stopped for a long time because of the second Intifada (uprising) events considering the location of the stadium near by-pass road (60). It was opened in 2007.
 
Area and Location:
Al Khader is 20100 dunums in area including 800 dunums of built-up area.
 
Previous violations:
the Israelis conquered 218 dunums of the village in 1948 and are trying to capture the rest of Al Khader fertile lands using the segregation wall. The Israeli authorities confiscated huge parts og Al Khader lands to construct Ezyon colony in 1967(4500 dunums in area inhabited by 461 colonists) and Daniel in 1983 (200 dunums in area).
 
Details:
Israeli colonists plowed 3 dunums in Khallit Qifan area in Al Khader in addition to uprooting numerous grape trees in the area.
The total area of the land is 18 dunums owned by several Palestinians (the victims). The owners had not received any kind of warning beforehand and they never heard the reasons for the aggression.
 
LRC team accompanied Issa Shihada, one of the victims, to its land to see the results of the aggressions and were prevented from taking pictures by the Israeli soldiers.
 
Categories: Settlers Attacks