Blocking the Road Connecting Shufa with Izbit Shufa – Tulkarm governorate

Violation: the Israeli Occupation Army blocked the road connecting Shufa with Izbet Shufa.

Perpetrators:  the Israeli Occupation Army.

Victims: Shufa’s residents.

Date: August 31, 2011.

 

 

The locals were delighted with the removal of the cement blocks blocking the road connecting Shufa with Izbit Shufa; knowing that it used to connect the village with TulKarm city.

 

In the early morning hours of August 31, 2011, an Israeli dozer accompanied by three Israeli Army vehicles advanced towards the road.They placed a number of cement blocks to block the road connecting both parts of the village. The road had been blocked for ten years before the removal of the blockade earlier this month. The Israeli justify the blockade by claiming that it is vital for the ‘security’ of the nearby colony of Avni Hefetz.

 

 

Not only did the Israelis place watch towers and surveillance cameras along the road but they also blocked the road, splitting the village into halves. The villagers have to travel an extra 27 kilometers in order to get to the other part of the village which is separated only by the Israeli blocks. The continuous closure forced many of the citizens to immigrate due to the difficulty to reach TulKarm city as well as the lack of services.

 

Shufa is located 8 km to the south of TulKarm city. It is total area is 12000 dunums out of which 7000 were confiscated to be used for colonial expansion purposes. It is inhabited by around 2500 people.

 

Colony	Established	Built-up area	inhabitants
Avne Hefetz	1987	1397	964
Innab	1981	696	550

 

In addition, a by-pass has ripped the village apart hindering any chances of future development. Furthermore, the Israelis have planted surveillance cameras and watch towers all around the village. They tend to disturb the peace of the villageby breaking into it on the pretext of ensuring the security of Avne Hefetz. The Israelis also prevent the farmers from exploiting their fields located nearby the aforementioned colony turning the fields into barren lands.