Expanding “Mevo’ot Yerikho” settlement / Jericho governorate

• Violation: Expanding “Mevo’ot Yerikho” settlement.
• Location: An-Nuwei’ma governorate.
• Date: June 01-2018.
• Perpetrator: “Mevo’ot Yerikho” illegal colonists.
• Victim: families of the village.

Description: It is reported that “Mevo’ot Yerikho” settlement is expanding over An-Nuwei’ma Palestinian village from the north- west side. The occupation implanted 5 mobile caravans and surrounded them with a wall on an area of 9 dunums from the town’s lands.

“Mevo’ot Yerikho” settlement received the support of the successive far- right occupation governments by granting finance support that guarantees its development and expansion.

Sabah Rashad observer of colonization in Jericho governorate told LRC observer:

“In the recent 2 years, the southern Jordan valley area was subjected by frequent Israeli assaults, starting from Deir Abu Hajala to Sea level area, Quruntul Mountain, and recently grabbing surrounding lands of “Mevo’ot Yerikho” settlement, and implanting number of mobile caravans in the location”

Photos 1-3: expanding “Mevo’ot Yerikho” settlement

Legal consultant “Hani Zbeidat” in Jericho governorate told LRC observer:

“In the recent few years, The Israeli settlement council agreed to rent some of the lands labeled “Israeli stare’s property” from The Israeli Occupation Civil administration, most of recent illegal colonial expansion is built over “state’s land” and Palestinian private properties, other than lands confiscated from Palestinian owners by arbitrary military orders and gradually leaked to Israeli illegal settlers”

“Mevo’ot Yerikho” is one of the agricultural illegal settlements established in the 80 s, the occupation authorities connected the mentioned settlement to roads network, water lines and electricity supply, other than providing facilitations to their settlers like tax-exemption and habitation facilities, “Mevo’ot Yerikho” has more than 640 settlers according to Beit Selim reports in 2011.

 Legal Feedback:

The constringing policy  by the Israeli occupation authorities   of confiscating Palestinian lands in order to  build illegal random outposts and settlements can only be regarded as a violation of all  international conventions  and agreements like:

The Geneva Fourth convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in the times of war:

Security council resolution 242 year 1967:   Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict; and  Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territoial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.

Security council resolution 446 year 1979:   Determines that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;

Security council resolution   452 year 1979: the resolution once again denounced Israel’s settlement activities  in territories occupied in 1976 including (East) Jerusalem, this activity constituting a violation of the Fourth Geneva convention, and called on Israel to cease planning and construction of settlements

Security council resolution 465 year 1980: calls to dismantle the existing settlements and in particular to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem; Calls upon all States not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion with settlements in the occupied territories;

Security council resolution 478 year 1980:  Censures in the strongest terms the enactment by Israel of the “basic law” on Jerusalem and the refusal to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions,Those States that have established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions from the Holy City.

Hague  convention 1907 :

Article 46:  the occupying power must not confiscate Private property .

Article 55:  The occupying State shall be regarded only as administrator and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and agricultural estates belonging to the hostile State, and situated in the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of these properties, and administer them in accordance with the rules of usufruct.

Geneva forth convention 1949:

 Article 49: The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the territories it occupies.

Article 55: Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited.

Article 174:  taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wan