• Violation: closing an agricultural road

• Location: Azzun, east of Qalqiliya

• Date : 24/07/2017

• Perpetrators : the Israeli occupation army

• Victims : residents of Azzun

 

• Details:

On the evening of Monday, July 24, 2017, the Israeli occupation forces closed an agricultural road with earth mounds. Noteworthy, the road is located to north of Azzun town and connects the town with the bypass road number 55 that runs through the village. This road is used by many farmers in the village to access agricultural lands isolated by the bypass road. Also, it is considered a substitute road for the of the town in the event of the occupation army to closes the northern entrance of town.

Photo 1: the closed road

  The Israeli army occasionally harass the town's residents by closing the main entrance to the town and impose a military cordon around the town, in order to strike the commercial movement in the town and restrict the movement of the citizens

About Azzun Atma:

Located 8km to Qalqiliya city with a total area of 9,472 dunums, of which 1,054 dunums are the village’s built-up area, Azzun is inhabited by 7,821 people (2007).

The occupation confiscated vast area from the village for the favor of colonization and the apartheid wall; the areas are detailed as follows:

• 276 dunums were confiscated for Maale Shamron colony that was established in 1980.
• 417 dunums were confiscated for the bypass road number 55

It should be marked that the vast majority of Azzun lands (6,927 dunums) is classified as area “C” according to Oslo accords; areas that are controlled by the Israeli occupation. The village has zero percentage of area “A” that is under the control of Palestinian Authority. As for other classifications, the village has 2,546 dunums classified as area “B”. (Geographical Information System- Land Research Center)

 

3 colonies are built on 'Azzun lands and they are:

• Maale Shomron: Built in 1980, the colony has a total area of 1903 and a built-up area of 216 dunums. 549 colonists live in it (according to a 2004 census). 
• Genot Shomron: Built in 1985, the colony's built-up area is 484 dunums.
• Karni Shomron: Built in 1978, the colony's built-up area is 1351 dunums. 6270 colonists live in it (according to a 2005 census). 

 Some International conventions and Humanitarian laws pertaining to attacks on land and natural resources are:

 Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

• Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
• No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights States:

"All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence."

 

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC