The Israeli occupation forces demolished at least 11 animal barracks and residential tents in the Bedouin village of Imreiha, Jenin, during the last month of March under the pretext of un-licensing. In an interview with LRC field worker, the head of the village local council Mr. Mahmud Hamduni said that the demolished barracks and tens are owned by Mr. Nawaf Hamduni, Mr. Qasem Hamduni, Tawfiq Hamduni and Mr. Nizar Abu Rumeila.
(Photo1: Imreiha, Jenin: one of the demolished barracks in
the foreground, and Ya'bad town in the background)
The head of the village council went on to say that the latest demolition was the third of its kind since 2003, as followed:
1. 4 houses and 7 barracks were demolished in 2003 whose ownership belongs to Mr. Adib Nawaf Hamduna, Akram Mohammed Hamduna Awad Khalid Hamduna, Ibrahim Nayef hamduna.;
2. 4 barracks were demolished in 2004 two of them owned by Mr. Nawaf Hamduni.
The destroyed barracks are economically vital for the 15 Bedouin owners' families as they have no other source of living except animal rearing. Following this, the owners were obliged to buy tents and use them as living places for their families and flocks.
(Photo 2 & 3: Imreiha, Jenin: two copies for the halt of construction
notifications that were distributed in the village)
Location, population and area
The village of Imreiha is located in a mountainous area about 20 km to the south west of Jenin city between the colonies of Hermesh to the west and Mevo Dotan to the east. It is situated on the Jenin- Tulkarem main road which has been closed by the Israeli army for the last six years. The village's total population is about 400 formed of four Bedouin refugee families: Turkman, Hamduna, Abu Rumeila and 'Abed.
(Map 1: location of Imreiha village)
The village total surface land area is 3265 dunums of which only 60 dunums are designed as built up area.
(Photo 4: Imreiha, Jenin: The closed main Tulkarem-Jenin road passing through the village)
Refugee experience repeated
The origin of Imrheiha villages goes back to the village of As Sindiyana ( Oak) near Haifa. During the war of 1948 they were dismissed from their homes and properties by the Israeli forces and took refuge to A Liga area between Ya'bad and 'Anin villages in Jenin governorate. They stayed there for 20 years until they were displaced again in the aftermath of 1967 war to Imreiha area which is an extension of Ya'bad territory. By so doing, they became refuges for the second time in their lives.
Since the Israeli occupation of the West Bank in 1967, there has been no recognition of Imreiha village on the part of the occupation authorities. Accordingly, no infrastructure, whatsoever, has been introduced to the village so as to facilitate the evacuation of the village 80 nucleolus families at any future possible time.
Photo 5 & 6: Imreiha, Jenin: Some of the threatened dwellings in the village )
The village and the Wall
After the construction of the Annexation and Expansion Wall to the west of the village in the year 2003, harassments and violations have increased against the village's dwellers and shepherds who are denied access into the grazing areas located in the vicinity of the Wall path. To further isolate the village, two iron gates watched by soldiers in military towers were set up at the western and eastern entrances to the village. In addition, another iron gate and watch tower were erected at the western entrance to Ya'bad town so as to obstruct the access of Imreiha people into Ya'bad town which is considered the nearest centre of services for Imrehiha.
All the iron gates are shut up from 8 PM to 6 AM where no vehicles are allowed passage. Such a situation forces people to find alternative ways and means to transfer emergency cases of sick people by using donkeys or mules.
Even, the Care International's truck which transfers emergency aid in the form of animal fodder is denied access to the village after 8 PM. In many occasions, the truck was forced to unload its cargo at the iron gate, only to be taken by beneficiaries on the second day.
According to the head of Imreiha village council, the Israeli on going demolition, closure and economic punishment measures are all aim at eradicating the whole village from the earth surface as a prelude for the expansion of the existing colonies to the east and west of the already stricken village.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
