On July 22nd, 2008 a large group of colonists from the outpost of Gila’ad Zoher (established atop lands belonging to the village of Til, west of the City of Nablus) burnt Palestinian agricultural lands in the region of Wadi Abu Al Jood east of the village of Far’atta. About 26 dunums of lands were charred to the ground while Israeli occupation forces were present and provided protection for the colonists. The scene was repeated again on the 25th of July in the same region by the same perpetrators. The total number of damaged Palestinian lands is around 54 dunums.
Photo 1: A Group of Gila’ad Zoher colonists setting ablaze to the lands
of the village of Far’atta under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.
Photo 2: Fire destroying Palestinian lands in the village.
Most of the sabotaged lands were planted with wheat and grains as Palestinians used to plant it on yearly basis with such crops. However, ever since the establishment of the outpost of Gila’ad Zoher Palestinians became reluctant to reach their lands in the vicinity of the outpost due to the daily attacks and violations carried out against them by the colonists. Such violations included sever beatings, stealing or damaging agricultural tools in addition to burning the crops especially during the harvest and olive picking seasons. The accumulation of these attacks has led to massive economical losses in addition to the psychological effects such attacks have left in the hearts and minds of Palestinian farmers.
Photo 3: The residents of the village of Far’atta inspect the damage
sustained by their lands due to colonists’ attacks.
It is worth noting here that during the past few years the number of attacks carried out by the Gila’ad Zoher colonists and the colonists of the outpost of Giva’at A’ami has reached more than 30 attacks, according to the residents of nearby villages. Most of such attacks take place during the olive harvest season as collected olives were stolen, women were beaten, animals were shot at and crops were burnt. After each attack, the affected farmers file complaints against the colonists at the Israeli DCL Office, yet to no avail as none of the complaints resulted in the arrest or the detention of any of the colonists. Even the boys walking along with their sheep in the hills surrounding the villages of Far’atta, Jit and Amateen were not spared the attacks of these colonists. The latest attack of that nature was carried out four months ago as a colonist stole a herd of sheep from one of the Palestinian boys and forced him out of the land. The colonist, then, guided the sheep to the outpost of Gil’ad Zoher and was kept there until the residents of nearby Palestinian villages managed to get it back to its rightful owners.
In terms of the fires that were set off over the past three months in the northern parts of the West Bank, about 24 dunums were burnt in the village of Barqa due to the firing of light flares by Israeli occupation forces on both sides of the road running through the village. These light flares have always caused the burning of 12 dunums in the village of Ramein as well as 24 dunums in the village of Beit Foreek.
Prepared by:
The Land Research Center
LRC
