Israeli military trainings cause fire to 50 agricultural dunums of pastures in al-Himmih area
Violation: torching 50 dunums
Date: 30/04/2015
Location: Palestinian Jordan Valley( al-ghoor)
Perpetrators: the Israeli occupation army
Victims: Bedouin communities of the area
Details:
Bedouin communities and farmers in the area of northern ghoor (Palestinian Jordan Valley) fully depend on livestock as a source of income and livelihood, taking into consideration the hardships of life conditions, weathers change, and Israeli violations and attacks they face. Noteworthy, the Israeli occupation invests all efforts to harass Bedouin and farmers to force them move out the area.
The Israeli occupation authorities- during training exercises- on April 30, 2015 set fire to a plot in the area of Al-Himmih Bedouin community, east Nablus governorate.
According to the testimony of citizen Mithqal Abdelkarim (61) to Land Research Center, the occupation troops were seen hurling grenades into pastures on purpose, causing 50 dunums to burn down.
"We tried to extinguish the fire but the occupation troops kept hindering us from moving forwards; they even sent us out the location but people were so determined and we made it" said citizen Mithqal.
Photo 1: side from the military trainings
Photo 2: the area of Al-Himmih
Frequents fires :
The chairman of Kardala village council Ghassan Faqha told an observer from Land Research Center: "there is a existing plan to target the whole area; fires are just one tool to put pressure on farmers to force them move out the area"
He also added: "during the past couple of years, vast areas of pastures were purposefully set on fire at times of Israeli training; usually, the occupation chose sensitive areas and specific reasons to destroy crops and harm citizens.
Not only the occupation troops set fire to pastures but they also hinder fire brigades to reach the area.
The responsible of al-ghoor file Mutaz Bsharat said:
"We , at Tubas governorate, send fire brigades when the occupation troops set pasture ablaze but get hindered or detained under the pretext of lacking previous coordination with the Israeli side. Other pretext is that the occupation claim sending its own fire brigade to do the job but that never happens. As a result, fire reach out vast area of lands"
Frequent trainings:
It should be marked that over the past four years, the Israeli occupation have been conducting regular trainings that reached out all of al-ghoor area, resulting a destruction in the infrastructure, nature, and pasture. Not only that, many of the area's residents were reported injured or dead due to training leftovers.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
