Photo 1: Adhahiriay, Hebron: Part of the road opened near Tel ar Rahwa)
Photo courtesy of Adhahiriay municipality
Israeli extremist settlers from Tina settlement south of Adhahriya town, Hebron governorate, began to open a new colonial road in the lands of Palestinians located in Wadi Hebron. The Israeli settlers accompanied by two bulldozers made an opening in the' security' cement road barrier to start a new road leading to a tell named ar Rahwa at the top of which are the ruins of a destroyed police station dating back to the Jordanian era. This aggression took place on September 16th, 2006.
The target place is now called Khirbet ar Rahwa. The area is, also, called the Mitar checkpoint, referring to the permanent border checkpoint to Bir Shiva on road number 60 in Wadi Hebron in the south western corner of the West Bank. The area is only 1.5 km from the checkpoint and 5 km to the south east of Tene (Maale Omarim) settlement ( started in 1983, population in 2004 was 563, built up area is 272 dunum , municipal area is 8269 dunum- Source Foundation for Middle East Peace).
(Map 1: Location of Khirbet ar Rahwa, south Hebron)
Map prepared by GIS unit – LRC
The purpose of the road opening is still un unknown, however, people believe that the Israeli settlers want to erect a statue for an Israeli soldier or settler killed at the tell during the war of 1967, or to build a Jewish temple in the place.
The infringed land is owned by the family of at Til from Adhayriya, particularly, to brothers Hasan, Mohammed & Ali Mahmud Abdul Majid at Til and Rashad Hasan at Til.
Photo 2: Adhahiriay, Hebron: Road No. 60 and the newly opened
road to tell ar Rahwa seen in the background )
Photo courtesy of Adhahiriay municipality
The owners confirmed to LRC field worker that the Israeli armed settlers managed to open a 70 meters long by 8 meters wide road before they were stopped by the Israeli police.
Legal actions
On September 17th, the second day of the aggression, Adhayiriya municipality and affected land owners and farmers levied a complaint to the Israeli police at Kiriayt Araba' police station against the settlers' violation. In addition, they informed the Association for Civil Rights in Israel of the violation. Layer Limor from the aforementioned association sent a letter to the Israeli army's legal advisor on September 18th, asking him to explain the matter. Yet, no response has been received.
Photo 3 & 4: Adhahiriay, Hebron: Land owners and farmers visiting the newly opened road)
Photo courtesy of Adhahiriay municipality
Only on Tuesday, September 19th, the Israeli police visited the site in the presence of representatives to Adhayiriya municipality and land owners and farmers.
More lands are targeted
The land owner Mr. Rashad at Til cautioned that about 500 dunums of the family lands surrounding the destroyed police station will eventually be confiscated if the Israeli settlers go on with their aggression against their lands. He called upon the Israeli authorities to hold responsibility as an occupying power and stop this explicit aggression, pointing to the fact that the owners of the target land have all the required land certificates and registrations, including, of course, Turkish taboo.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
