On December 30th, 2008, the Israeli occupation army closed with earth mounds and rocks all the entrances leading to Kafr Qaddum town, Qalqiliay governorate, as a collective punishment after an opening fire incident at settler's car passing road number 55. The closed entrances include the south western entrance which is the main and sole one linking the town with the villages of Kur and Hajja after the village was separated from its surroundings by the settlement block of Kedumim. In addition, all the agricultural roads connecting the town with its agricultural land around the colony of Gilaad Zoher were closed.
(photo 1: Kafr Qaddum's closed south western entrance )
This is not the first time the Israeli army closes roads around Kafr Qaddum town as it did on several occasions since the beginning of the Intifada in the year 2000.
(map 1: location map)
Background to Kafr Qaddum town
It is located 25 km to the east of Qalqilia city and 12 km to the west of Nablus city with a population of about 4150 (Source: PCBS). It's total land area is 17161 dunums (17.16 Mkm) including a built up area of 398 dunums (0.40 Mkm) ( Source: LRC GIS department). Out of the above-mentioned area there are 2500 dunums specified as grazing zone, 5000 dunums under Israeli colonial control, especially the colony of Kedumim and the remaining areas are agricultural lands of which 85 % is planted with olive trees.
Kedumim colonial block
The Kedumim colony is located at the ruins of the former Jordanian military camp in the western and southern sides of Kafr Qaddum town. It started to appear in the year 1975 and, now, it has the surface area of 1090 dunums all taken from the land of Kafr Qaddum and the neighboring village of Jit. By the end of 2007, the total population of Kedumim colony was 3,382 ( Source: Foundation for Middle East Peace- Washington).
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli occupation authorities have captured the hilltops surrounding Kedumim colony by tricky means to establish the nucleus for the so-called Kedumim Illit ( upper kedumim) over an area of 533 dunums in which more than 300 settlers live now.
Moreover, the Kedumim settlers supported by the Israeli government and army put their hands over vast areas of Kafr Qaddum's eastern land to establish the so-called Gilad Zoher colony over 753 dunums of land in which more than 1053 settlers live now.
Closure impacts on local people
The closure of the town's entrances causes very negative impacts on the local population as the town is surrounded by Kedumim colonial block from south east and south west where the only exit is located and with the closure of this exit it has become quite impossible for the town's inhabitants to go out of their town, particularly the sick.
(photo 2: one of the closed agricultural roads in Kafr Qaddum)
On the other hand, the closure of all the agricultural roads will deprive the local people of the right to reach their agricultural fields adjacent to the existing colonies and settlers' roads in the area.
Settler violence
Kafr Qaddum town has continuously become under severe and nasty attacks on part of the Israeli settlers and soldiers alike. These attacks include storming of the town by soldiers to carry out search and arrest campaigns under the pretext of safeguarding settlers' security.
Settlers' attacks encompass dismissing farmers out of their fields during the olive picking seasons in October and November as well as summer picking seasons of ground crops and cereals. The latest forms of these attacks were done by large groups of settlers severely beating farmers and family members taking part in the work, confiscating and/or stealing their agricultural machinery and stocks in addition to randomly setting up of caravans (mobile homes) in valleys and basins as preliminary measures towards future confiscation.
Related case study:
1. Land confiscated for military road in Kafr Qaddum village, Qalqiliya governorate, June, 2007.
2. New military road under construction in Kafr Qadum land, Qalqiliya governorate, August, 2007
3. No Electricity Supply in Kafr Qaddum village under the 40 years of Israeli Occupation, Qalqiliya governorate
December,2007
Prepared by:
The Land Research Center
LRC
