Blocking the Road Connecting Yirza with Tubas City

Violation: blocking a road connecting Yirza with Tubas city.

Date: May 3, 2012.

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army.

Victims: villagers of Yirza.

 

On May 3, 2012, the Israeli Forces commenced a large scale plowing campaign leveling huge areas of land which hit the 7-km-long road connecting Yirza with Tubac city. It must be noted that the road is the only connection between Tubas and Yirza; besides, it serves huge areas of agricultural lands. The road has been rehabilitated two months earlier; through a project funded by the Palestinian Ministry of Finance and contributions of the locals who suffered a great deal of the Israeli measures.

   

It must be noted that the Israeli Occupation Authorities do not recognize Yirza as a residential community; they even turned the village into a military zone were people are not allowed in. Yirza suffered a great deal of demolitions throughout the years; even the village’s mosque was demolished several times. However, people of Yirza are determined to remain in their lands despite.

 

Yirza is located 10 km away from Tubas Governorate, in Al Buqe’a Plain. 12 families (100 people) reside in the area, these are the remains of its original population, counting hundreds, and used to plant the 25000 dunums area including 283 dunums classified as “country root”.  More than 75% of Yirza lands are registered property of Palestinian families according to Jordanian laws, however, the Israeli measures of land confiscations and house demolitions forced most of its population to immigrate.