The Israeli Occupation targets the village of Qatanna

Overview

Qatanna, a Palestinian village located 12 Kilometers to the northwest of the Jerusalem, has an area of 3793 dunums and is 650 meters above sea level. The village population is currently around 7496 (PCBS 2006) with 373 dunums of built-up area. Qatanna is surrounded by the Palestinian villages of Qibya and Beit ‘Anan form the north, the Illegal Israeli settlement of Har Adar from the south, the Israeli Apartheid Segregation Wall from the south and the west, and by Biddu village from its east.

In accordance with Oslo II Interim Agreement that was signed in September 1995 between the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and Israel,  the Palestinian areas in the West Bank were categorized into three areas A (where the Palestinians have control over administrative and security issues), B (Palestinians have full control over the civil responsibilities and Israel continues to have overriding responsibility for security) and C (Israel retains full control over security and administration related to territory). Accordingly, a total of 716 dunums of Qatanna’s lands were classified as Area B; while a total of 3077 dunums were classified as Area C. See the map below:

Map 1: Map of Qatanna Village

Qatanna & the Apartheid Wall

On December 9, 2003, the Israeli forces handed the residents of Qatanna military order holding number (84/03/T) to confiscate 192.2 dunums of lands from the their village, as well as from Al Qubeiba, in order to construct the 'Segregation Wall', of which 106 dunums are located within Qatanna's village boundary. Moreover, another military order holding number (107/03/T) was issued by the Israeli occupation on December 31, 2003, to confiscate 238.4 dunums of lands from Qatanna, Biddu, Beit Surik and Al Qubeiba villages, whereby 47 dunums of them are to be taken from Qatanna's land. The Segregation Wall in Qatanna village reaches a length of 6 Kilometers, isolating 47% from the total village’s lands. See photo 1 & Photo 2:

The table below shows the land classification inside the village boundary and the lands that will be isolated behind the Wall

Moreover, the 144 m² house of Najem El Din Taher Al Husseini, which is adjacent to Har Adar Illegal Israeli settlement, constructed in the year 1986 on 69 of dunums of Qatanna’s lands, is located on the eastern edge of the village and will be totally isolated behind the Wall path. The 19 family members will no longer have access to the village. This house was constructed in 1972 and contains 4 rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Today, the Israeli forces cut the water supply to the house of Najem El Din and nobody can enter the Iron Gate except Najm El Din's family in an attempt to cut them out of the external world and to force then to leave their house. See Photos below:

Furthermore, the Israeli occupation forces prohibits him from building any additional units or constructions to the house and rejects paving or letting him pave the only street leading to the house. It is also worthwhile to point out that this house is threatened to either be demolished or to be attached to the nearby Israeli settlement of Har Adar due to its proximity to the settlement.

Water Problem in Qatanna

Not only have the lands of Qatanna been confiscated by the Israeli occupation, but also the water supply of the village is being confiscated by the Israeli settlers of the Illegal Israeli settlement of Har Adar (est. 1986, pop. 2400 settlers).

It is worth mentioning that the main water tank which provides Qatanna village with water supply is located in the aforementioned Israeli settlement where an Israeli company called “Mikrot” controlling the timing and amount of water flow  to Qatanna and another seven Palestinian villages through an 4“ water pipeline. See chart below:

Accordingly, the residents of Qatanna villages as well as the nearby villages are facing a dramatic scarcity of water, where all of the residents of Qatanna village (approximately 8000) had received only 72,420 cubic meter of water during a period of 4 months, meaning that every single family in Qatanna village will receive water only three days a month.

The Israeli government continues to create more obstructions to peace through many different actions such as demolishing the Palestinian houses, confiscating more lands for constructing, expanding the Illegal Israeli settlements and the Apartheid Segregation Wall and even confiscation of the water resources not only in Qatanna village but in all of the occupied West Bank as well.

Prepared by 
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem