“300 dunums leveled for the Expansion of the Illegal Israeli Outpost of Nevi Daniel North” Residents of Al-Khader town West of Bethlehem Governorate devastated by the loss of their lands

August 19, 2011

See Video Below

On the midnight of 16/17 August, 2011, Israeli bulldozers operating under the protection of the Israeli Army vandalized and razed 300 dunums of lands nearby the Illegal Israeli outpost of “Nevi Daniel North”, which is located 1.5 km north of the Illegal settlement of Nevi Danielwest of Al-Khader town at the western parts of Bethlehem Governorate. Evidently, the work carried out in the vicinity of the outpost is intended to expand the control area surrounding it and facilitate a road to link the outpost with the settlement.

In an Interview with ARIJ fieldworkers, Mr. Mahmoud Issa, local resident from Al-Khader town, indicated that the Israeli settlers’ bulldozers, started to level the lands from the beginning of the holy month of “Ramadan” on August 1, 2011.

For years now, the Israeli settlers of Nevi Daniel in cooperation with the settlers living in the outpost tried to expand the outpost’s jurisdiction and pave the way to link both the settlement and the outpost with each other on the expense of Al-Khader residents’ private lands.

The Outpost … Nevi Daniel North

This Israeli outpost was established illegally in January 2002. It is located about 1.5 kilometers north of Nevi Daniel settlement and 1.8 kilometers west of Al-Khader town. The outpost started out with one Israeli settler who coarsely took control of one of the mountain top west of Al-Khader town and set-up a mobile “caravan” house in the area where he encircled the location with barbwire and attack dogs for protection. The settler who received help and protection from the Israeli Army while setting up the location of the outposts advocated for years for many other settlers to join him.

Today, and 9 years later, the outpost has expanded in its control area and the number of caravans that stand at 12 to this date along with 16 other Israeli settlers, who enjoy more service and infrastructure (water, electricity, roads) all come with the courtesy of the Israeli Army in spite the fact that the outpost and such likes as the settlements are deemed illegal under international law and was notoriously identified in the Quartet and US adopted Road Map as illegal and obstacle to the peace process and accordingly should be dismantled.

Nevi Daniel Settlement…….Chronological of Illegal Expansion

Nevi Daniel is one of the Israeli settlements of Gush Etzion settlements’ bloc which spreads over the western parts of Bethlehem Governorate. It was established in the year 1982 on lands confiscated from residents of Al- Khader town. The location site had yet no features or characteristics at the time.

The start area of Nevi Daniel settlement was 120 dunums in 1990, , and later on in the year 1996, the settlement control area was 160 dunums, and by the year 1999, the settlers had control over 185 dunums of confiscated lands.

According to the latest revised route of the Segregation Wall published on the website of the Israeli Ministry of Defense on September 30, 2007, Nevi Daniel settlement was annexed within the western Segregation Zone along with the Gush Etzion settlements’ bloc between the Wall and the 1949 Armistice Line.

In the year 2001, the Israeli settlers of Nevi Daniel settlement carried out a large scale land razing of 230 dunums of agriculture lands located near the settlement and owned by the local residents of Al-Khader village. The land razing was in preparation to expand the settlement. Furthermore and in the same year, the Israeli settlers of Nevi Daniel settlement took over a nearby hill located about 1500 meters north of the settlement where the Illegal Israeli outpost of “Nevi Daniel North” was later established in January of 2002.

Today, the total area that falls under the jurisdiction of Nevi Daniel settlement is 580 dunums; an expansion of almost 400% since it was first constructed in 1990. See the map and video below:

See the pictures below:-

Mr. Ramzi Salah, the Mayor of Al-Khader town, stated that the targeted lands are owned by 114 local residents from the town and they are from the families of: Subeih, Salah, Ghneim, Taqatqa, Al-‘Ida, Mousa, AZ-Zayyah and Al-Ziyadeh.

Al- Khader

Is a Palestinian town located some 4.5 kilometers east of Bethlehem city. Husan and Battir villages from the west and northwest, Al Doha and Beit Jala cities from the north and northeast, and Al Duheisha Refugee camp and Artas village from the south. The built-up area of Al- Khader town spreads on 601 dunums of land, about 3% of the village’s total land area (20,090 dunums). The town is home to 11,666 inhabitants (PCBS 2010), most of who work in agriculture sector, where the rich and fertile soil has made farming and agriculture feasible on the land, therefore, agriculture has been and is still considered the major source of income for many of the town’s residents.

Israeli occupation effect on Al-Khader town

89% from Al-Khader lands had been lost by the Israeli Colonial Activities

Al-Khader town is a typical example for the Palestinian communities which were severely affected by the Israeli colonial and expansionist activities, where the town had lost 2791 dunums 13.8% from its lands for the construction of six Illegal settlements. See the table below:

Israeli Settlements established on land of Al-Khader town
Settlement Name	Date of Est.	Population	Area- Dunums	Location
Rush Tzurim	1969	302	3	West of Al-Khader (Bethlehem)
Allon Shevut	1971	,	38	Southwest of Al-Khader (Bethlehem)
Migdal Oz	1977	327	45	South of Al-Khader (Bethlehem)
Nevi Daniel	1982	1,065	583	Southwest of Al-Khader (Bethlehem)
Eli’ezar	1975	870	449	Southwest of Al-Khader (Bethlehem)
Efrat	1979	6,996	1673	Southeast of Al-Khader (Bethlehem)
Total	*******	12,520	2,791	*******
Source: ARIJ Database 2011

The Segregation Wall Effect

Furthermore, the Israeli Segregation Wall constitutes another Israeli colonial tool to loot as much land as possible from Al-Khader town, where it stretches 6.7 km on the lands of the village and cuts most of the village’s agriculture lands and open spaces behind the Wall. When completed, the Segregation Wall will end up isolating 15,144 dunums (75.4%) of the town’s lands.

Together, the lands confiscated to build the six Illegal Israeli settlements along with the lands isolated behind the Segregation Wall path, constitute % 89.2 from the total village lands.

Conclusion

Israel is racing against time toward imposing facts on the ground in order to deprive the Palestinians from living and expanding on their own lands, while expanding the Illegal Israeli settlements and protecting the Israeli settlers during their systematic seizing and destroying the Palestinian properties. The Israeli seizing and razing the Palestinian-owned lands are Illegal and constitute a grave breach for the International law rules and conventions:

Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention indicated that: Extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. Is a grave breach of the Convention.
In addition, the uprooting and the closures are a clear violation of Article 23 of The Hague Convention Art. 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 also provides: In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy’s property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.
Also Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Article 17 reads: ‘No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.’ Which means it bans Israel from destroying or confiscating the property of the Palestinians at any case.