6 Eviction Orders in Qarawat bani Hassan- Salfit Governoarte

Violation: notifying 7 Palestinians of evacuating their lands.

Location: Beer abu Ammar, north western part of Qarawat bani Hassan.

Victims: 6 families.

Date: December 12, 2011.

 

On December 12, 2011, the Israeli Occupation Army handed 7 farmers eviction orders for their lands in Qarawar bani Hassan and return to the status quo within 40 days. The target lands were rehabilitated around two years ago in a project funded and implemented by the YMCA in cooperation with the MoA where they were planted with mostly olives. The target fields are 270 dunums in area.

 

 

The Israeli justified the orders by claiming that the lands are state property and that Palestinians are not allowed in. Besides, the target lands are close to Revava and Nufim colonies.

 

 

 

Abdul Kareem Rayyan, spokesman of the Village Council, stated to an LRC observer: ‘a vicious attack on Beer abu Ammar area is being undertaken; the Israeli consider the area as an extension of Wadi Qana Natural reserves.Israeli colonists’ attempts to take over the area and amend it to the nearby Nufim colony are unstoppable. So far, the town folks solidarity has prevented any captures.  The Israelis prohibit exploitation of lands in the area; however, the owners managed to acquire financial support to rehabilitate the lands in 2009 where more than 100 dunums where rehabilitated. The Israelis destroyed the fields and confiscated the tools many times before finally issuing this order while claiming that it is state property despite having documents proving otherwise.

 

The Israeli rely on an old Ottoman law which automatically transfers ownership of lands that had not been used for ten years. In Beer abu Ammar, the owners were unable to use the lands due to the Israeli colonists’ aggressions.

 

   

 

 

No.	Victim	Area (dunum)
1	Sa’id Mrei	34
2	Saber Meri	42
3	Samih Assi	50
4	Khader Salloum	62
5	Nader Meri	42
6	Allam Salloum	40
Total		270

 

 

It must be noted that in May, 2009, farmers of Deir Istiya and Qarawet bani Hassan started the rehabilitation of Beer abu Ammar area in an attempt to protect the lands from the Israeli threat. Rehabilitation proceeded till September, 2010 when Israeli troops appeared in the area and ordered the immediate stoppage of work on the pretext of ‘security reasons’.

 

Days after the incident, the owners continued working but this time, without using any heavy machinery and nothing but their own hands. However, on October 24, 2010, the Israelis destroyed most of the fields in the area and knocked down the retaining walls.