A plan to confiscate 500 dunums to establish a new colonial outpost in Nablus

March 3, 2015

Violation: a plan to confiscate 500 dunums

Date: 03/03/2015

Location: al-Sahlat area/ Nablus

Perpetrators: Israel Planning and Construction Committee

Victims: residents of Qaryut

Details:

In a recently revealed plan, the Israeli occupation authorities intend to confiscate what remained of Qaryut lands to serve the nearby colonies through expansion plans.

Israel Planning and Construction Committee revealed a new plan of land grab on the area of al-Sahlat that is 2km to the south of Qaryut built-up area. The targeted area totals around 500 dunums that are planted with aging olive trees.

Photo 1: an area photo of the targeted area published in Hebrew

According to attached maps, the plan targets an area located within the natural block no. 1 to become a touristic and park areas to serve the colony of Shilo and the archeological site of Silon. Noteworthy, those places are only 1km away from the targeted lands.

The area of al-Sahlat is considered the only breather for residents after the occupation took over more than 80% of the village's total lands.

A renewable plane:

It should be marked that the Planning and Construction Committee on March 27, 20014 deposited the master plan no. (5/205) in al-Quds newspaper that includes changing lands' status from agricultural use to touristic. Noteworthy, the lands are located in Qaryut within the natural blocks no. (4 +1); the new lands will be for the favor of Shilo colony and the archeological site of Silon.

What al-Sahlat area undergoes now is the implementation of the colonial plan, which will negatively affect the residents through banning them from using their lands.

Photo 2: the advertisement featured in al-Quds newspaper

Photo3: the status of colonization in Qaryut/ the Ministry of colonization and the wall affairs

Photo 4: Khirbet Silon in Yellow and the expansion plan in purple

A stop-work order:

In the same context, it is indicated that the village council of Qaryut embarked on rehabilitating 6 dunums through planting them with trees and building retaining walls around them as a precautionary step to protect them from colonial plans. The funds of the project came through the French Consulate in Jerusalem

The Israeli occupation authorities on March 03, 2015 served the stop-work order no. (181401) on the rehabilitation location under the claim of lacking permits in area classified C according to Oslo Accords.

The commander of the patrol threatened farmers with arrest and equipments confiscation in case they insisted not to leave their lands. The commander utterly decaled the area as an extension of Shilo colony and that an outpost will be soon established on it.

The military order gave farmers a deadline until March 29, 2015 to complete all licensing procedures. This comes in time with the hearing session of Israel Planning Committee in the court of Beit El to consider the status of the notified structures.