Location:
Deir El Balah is a Palestinian city located in the Gaza Strip 14.6km southwest of Gaza city; it has a population of 48000 inhabitants (according to Deir Al Balah Municipality). To the south and adjacent to Deir El Balah the Israeli settlement of Kfar Darom is located. Today, Kfar Darom settlement (established in 1970) houses 338 (65 families) Jewish settlers on a land area calculated at 460.63 dunums (according to ARIJ, GIS database 2003), in addition that the settlement is located at the mid-section of Khan Yunis and separates between its southern and northern parts.
Chronology of Violations:-
January 21st, 2004: the Israeli forces started to implement a plan to construct a 'Security Wall' around Kfar Darom settlement. The wall is planned to have a length of 2300 meters and a width of 15 meters, which will result in the confiscation of about 700 dunums of Palestinian land. According to the military orders distributed to the residents in the area, it has been announced that the areas marked on the map which form about 700 dunums will be confiscated for the building of a Segregation Wall and other security reasons.. The wall is planned to have a length of 2300 meters and a width of 15 meters, which will result in the confiscation of about 700 dunums of Palestinian land. According to the military orders distributed to the residents in the area, it has been announced that the areas marked on the map which form about 700 dunums will be confiscated for the building of a Segregation Wall and other security reasons.
April 23rd, 2004: Israel has succeeded in grapping more lands, when the Israeli Forces backed with several numbers of military tanks and under heavy barrage of gunfire staged into El Baraka neighborhood to the south of Deir El Balah city and razed more 48 dunums of agricultural land cultivated with Guava, Olive, Palm and Citrus trees owned by the families of Abu Shamas and el Ryati. The Israeli actions in the neighborhood were carried out under security claims to prevent Palestinians from shelling at the surrounding settlements of Tal Qatif and Gush Qatif settlements. See map of location
On April 24th, 2004: the Israeli bulldozers invaded for the second time the city of Deir El Balah and demolished two houses which belongs to the brothers Lutfi and Saleh Yassin El Khateeb along with another Gas station owned by 'Ikela family located to the south of aforementioned settlement. In addition, the IOF continued their massive land confiscation and razed another 16 dunums of agricultural land which belongs to Abu Samra, Abu Bashir and Abu 'Aref families under the same pretexts. The charts below show the number of houses demolished during the years 2003 and 2004:
In a time when the Israeli Government claims to dismantle some settlements and outposts from Gaza Strip, the Israeli Occupation forces continued their massive operations such as land confiscation, demolition of houses and other colonial activities which aim at dispossessing Palestinian farmers from their lands and deprive them from their main source of income. The Israeli policy in this regard is damaging the future of the Palestinian citizens and depriving them from any geographical expansion and natural growth.
Israel and settlements:-
The Israeli activities in the Palestinian Territories have surpassed illegality long ago as it violated countless international laws including the Forth Geneva Convention of 1979 relating to settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967:
' All measures taken by Israel to change the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure or status of the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, or any part thereof, have no legal validity and that Israel's policy and practices of settling parts of its population and new immigrants in those territories constitute a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and also constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East?'
Since the occupation of the Palestinian Territories by Israel in 1967 and until today, the Israeli governments were able to construct 21 Israeli settlements, in addition to an Israeli industrial zone, security zone, military installation areas, and areas classified as a yellow zone (areas under Israeli control). The overall increase of settlements areas in gaza between the years 2001 and 2003 was 1089.13 dunums. Therefore, the Israeli Colonization activities continue to shave and confiscate more Palestinian lands at the same time affecting the future of the city which. See map of settlement area increase during the period of 2001-2003
Israel, by intensifying its colonial activities in the Palestinian Territories is violating the international laws as well as UN resolutions that assured the illegal existence of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and legitimized their removal. Moreover, throughout such Israeli colonization activities Israel is foiling any possibility to create a viable and a sustainable Palestinian state.
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
