On the 9th of August 2011, accompanied with the Israeli Civil Administration, Israeli Occupation Border Guards, and the Israeli occupation police, the Israeli occupation army dozers ruined and razed 19 dunums in Al-Baq’a village in Hebron Governorate. The targeted 19 dunums belong to A’zam Al-Jaber, and Nader Al-Jaber, had agricultural equipments, land cultivated with crops and irrigation networks that were utterly destroyed. It is worth mentioning that the Israeli Civil Administration also delivered a demolition order for A’rief Al-Rajabi, water cistern in the land, that was demolished sometime ago by the Israeli Civil Administration before it was rebuilt again.
The Israeli Civil Administration is demolishing Palestinian properties, evacuating lands, and taking control over Al-Baq’a area in Hebron governorate, for two main reasons. The first of which would be that Al-Baq’a area has fertile agricultural lands, but even more significantly water wells, making it of the food baskets that feeds Hebron Governorate. The other reason is geographically related one; since Al-Baq’a lands falls in close proximity to Qiryat Arba’, and Ramat Mamre ‘Kharsina’ settlements making it strategically reserved lands for the settlements’’ future expansion.
Both settlements Qiryat Arba’ and Ramat Mamre ‘Kharsina’ established in 1972, and 1983 respectively circles Al-Baq’a area from north, west and south as for east side the Israeli controlled road runs along the targeted area.
|
Settlement’s Name
|
Date of establishment
|
Population
|
Area
(Dunums)
|
|
Ramat Mamre
‘Kharsina’
|
1983
|
1000
|
831
|
|
Qiryat Arba’
|
1968
|
7226
|
1193
|
In Map 01, it shows the map of Al-Baq’a, showing the settlements of Qiryat Arba’, and Ramat Mamre borders.
Map 01: Al-Baq’a and the settlements of Qiryat Arba’, and Ramat Mamre borders.
About Al-Baq’a
Al-Baq’a is an agricultural area located east of Hebron city, rich with fertile lands and water resources. Its built-up area is limited and has 128 residential structures accommodating nearly 1000 Palestinian residents. Its land was one of the first targeted areas following the 1967 Israeli occupation, when Qiryat Arba’ settlement was established; subsequently separating the Al-Baq’a from the heart of Hebron city.
The houses of the residents there have been targeted many times over the past 44 years of occupation and some of the houses there were demolished several times over the years. Al-Baq’a is traditionally linked with Hebron with a one kilometer road but was closed by the Israeli occupation following the second Intifada in the year 2000. accordingly, residents of Al-Baq’a has to travel on the Israeli controlled bypass road number 60 to reach the same destination for about 45 kilometer.
Conclusion
The Israeli Civil Administration has been moving forward to restrict Palestinian communities and to control Palestinian lands in the vicinity of existing settlements all over the West Bank as part of their comprehensive policy to force facts on the ground prior to any possibility to resume the final status negotiation. Israel is setting the ground rules in advance to dictate the final outcome of the negotiations with the Palestinian in a straight forward violation to the principles of the peace process and the international laws that governs the peace talks between the Israeli and the Palestinian sides.
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