El Matan colonists open a road on lands of Kfar Thulth village

December 19, 2014

Violation: opening a colonial road

Date: 29/12/2014

Location: Kfar Thulth/ Qalqilya

Perpetrators: El Matan colonists

Victims: some agricultural families from the area

Details:

A group of fanatic colonists from El Matan colony on December 28 and 29, 2014 ravaged some agricultural lands between the colonies of El Matan and Male Shomron for the sake of opening a agricultural road( 2km length * 8m width). The planned road was previously a agricultural road linking the Palestinian lands of Kfar Thulth to each other but colonists took it over and rehabilitated it to be theirs. It should be marked that the new road penetrates the agricultural fields and olive groves relative to farmers from Qalqilya; this caused to ravage 16 aging olive trees.

Photos 1+2: Maale Shomron colony

Photos 3+4: the new colonial road

Photos 5+6: the colony of El Matan

Bypassing the law :

What is worth mentioning is that the lands targeted for the favor of the new road are only 2km away from the village master plan; the lands are also a private Palestinian property belonging to Ibrahim al-Alim. It should be marked that al-Alim managed to obtain a decision from Israel Supreme Court in 2006 asserting his ownership over the land.

Nine years later, colonists came to the place and managed to open the road, not caring about the court's decision whatsoever.

Legitimizing the outpost of EL Matan:

It should be marked that the opening of this agricultural road comes in time with a the announcement of Israel Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'lon, in which he approved on acknowledging " legitimatizing" the outpost of El Matan that is founded on the lands of Wad Qana in Salfit governorate. This decision will grant the outpost a legal status according to the occupation law. For further information about the aforementioned, please read the report issued by Land Research Center in that regard (click here).

Also, read through the report entitled ” The occupation puts hand on 100 dunums to expand the outpost of El Matan in Wad Qana" also issued by Land Research Center (Ar, Eng)

A new master plan to devour more Palestinian lands:

In the same context, it is indicated that the so-called Planning and Construction Committee of Israel Civil Administration on June 13, 2014 approved a master plan, in which the outpost of EL Matan is included. The plan mentioned expansion, establishment of public facilities and development of infrastructure for El Matan on an area of 1200 dunums from Azzun and Kfar Thulth villages.

Photo 7: the master plan and the detailed map

It should be marked that the army commander of the Israeli occupation in the West Bank issued an order to put hand on 11.769 dunum from the lands of Azzun al-Shamalyeih and Kfar Thulth, east of Qalqiliya governorate.

According to the military order no. (T/20/12) issued on 05/08/2014 with the map attached to it, the purpose behind this order is to set up a segregating fence around the periphery of Maale Shomron colony for the sake of reinforcing its security level. This fence is the second of a type after the one set up in 2000.

For further information about the report, please read through (Ar, Eng)

According to the master plan, the occupation will control a vast area of lands from Kfar Thulth from areas know as ( Khallet Ghandour, Wad el-Hamam, al-Aoyoum, al-Kafayif); this will affect 50 agricultural families from the area who depend on their lands to generate income.

About El Matan :

The outpost El Matan ( an extension of Karni Shomron colony )started back in 2000 nearby the natural reserve Nahal Kannah in Wad Qana.

The outpost was established on confiscated lands under the pretext of "Military purposes" from the natural reserve Nahal Kannah; the occupation later provided the outpost with all services and facilities and announced new expansion on it for the sake of making it legitimized and acknowledged as a full colony.