On August 23, 2007, the Israeli Army issued a new military order holding number (34/07/T) to confiscate a 225 square meter of Palestinian land to build a military watchtower just across Za�tara bypass road southeast of Beit Sahour city in Bethlehem Governorate.
The new military order came to complement an Israeli military order holding number (80/06/T), issued by the Israeli Army back in September 2006, but was only declared in August 2007. The September 2006 military order is to confiscate 290 square meters of the Palestinian lands, just one hundred meter away from the location of the other military order.
Both orders were issued under the pretext of military purposes to tighten control over bypass road # 3157 ( Za�tara bypass road) used by Israeli settlers. Construction work to put-up the watchtowers is proceeding apace in the targeted areas. See Map 1
Map of the Confiscated Lands & the Two Military Orders
Pictures of the Constructions in the Targeted Area
The Issuance of the two military orders coincided with the opening of Za'tara Bypass Road – Road # 3157 (the southern Gate to Jerusalem) on August 31, 2007 by Mayor of Gush Etzion settlement bloc. Shaul Goldstein and the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman. The road is to serve Israeli settlers of Gush Etzion settlement bloc. as it will minimize their traveling time to Jerusalem to 10 minutes.
Za�tara Bypass Road (Road # 3157)
Za�tara bypass road number 3157 stretch across 6.5 km in length in Bethlehem governorate In February 2002, the Israeli Army issued military order number 02/02/C to seize Palestinian land southeast of Bethlehem governorate under the pretext of 'military purposes, to constructanew Israeli bypass road to connect the illegal Israeli settlements cluster located southeast of Bethlehem governorate (Nikodim, Kfar Eldad (El David) and Teqou(including C & D) with Jerusalem via Har Homa settlement to further Israeli strangulate Bethlehem governorate from its eastern side.. The Israeli colonial road, which extends 8 Km in length take on an area of more than 830 dunums including the security buffer zone on (75 meters on each side of the road). The land used for the construction of the road were agricultural lands confiscated inform several Palestinian communities (Beit Sahour, Bethlehem, Za�tara, Ras-El Wad, Teqou, Al-Swahreh and Al-Fourdis). What makes things worse is that the Israeli Army is reluctant to allow Palestinians to use the bypass road, which is built on their lands in the first place. See Photo 4 & Photo 5
Pictures of the construction of the Bypass road (February 2002)
To Conclude
Under the pretext of securing the Jewish settlements inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel continue to violate the signed agreements and International laws. Oslo Agreement (The interim agreement of 1995), article1, item 2 and 4 clearly state (… the unity and integrity of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip shall be maintained and respected…). The ''Lateral Roads'', or what people call ''bypass roads'' -because they are meant to circumvent (i.e. bypass) Palestinian built up areas, are now disconnecting Palestinian communities from each other.
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Also Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention indicated that: �Extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, is a grave breach of the Convention.�
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Article (23) of the Hague Convention IV (18 October 1907) provides that: 'To destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war�.
Prepared by
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
ARIJ
