Violation: issuing four stop-work orders against structures in Salfit
Date: November 4, 2010.
Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Organization and Construction Committee.
Details:
On November 4, 2010, Israeli troops accompanied by the Organization and Construction Committee officers broke into a nomad gathering to the north of Salfit city; in an area called Al Mahajer (the quarries).
During the operation, 4 stop-work orders have had been handed to families living in the area; the Israelis claim that it is located in area classified ‘C’ according to Oslo Agreement.
The area is less than 1 km away from the Israeli colony of Ariel. The residents of this nomad gathering are people who immigrated from the Palestinian lands occupied in 1948. They resided around Hebron for a while before moving again nearby Salfit. The gathering consists of 7 Palestinian families (60 people) who depend on agriculture and herding on their living. Their houses are mainly built out of wood and burlap.
Orders 1: order received by northern Salfit nomads
The simplicity of these people lives was not enough reason for the Israeli Occupation to spare them. The Israeli Organization and Construction Committee ordered the eviction of the “Al Matwi ”area in 2004 for “security reasons”. This has forced the nomads to move to Al Mahajer area and settle there after tiring negotiations with the Israeli Occupation Army Higher Command.
Nevertheless, as expected, the Israelis did not respect the agreement and ordered the immediate stoppage of construction of these people’s structures claiming that it was built before acquiring the needed permits since it is an area classified ‘C’ according to Oslo agreement. The Israeli Army chose November 11, 2010, as the date of the hearing session to decide what to do with the structures.
Victims of the Israeli Aggression:
|
No.
|
Victim
|
structures
|
Family members
|
Children (under 18)
|
Damages
|
||
|
Houses
|
Shacks
|
others
|
|||||
|
1
|
‘Ali Muahamdeen
|
5
|
11
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
Bathroom, stove
|
|
2
|
Mohammad Muahamdeen
|
3
|
7
|
5
|
1
|
1
|
stove
|
|
3
|
Mohammad ‘Azazma
|
6
|
13
|
7
|
2
|
2
|
Bathroom, stove
|
|
4
|
‘Akef Muahamdeen
|
2
|
8
|
4
|
1
|
–
|
stove
|
|
Total
|
16
|
39
|
22
|
6
|
4
|
|
|
Picture 1-2: the endangered gathering
The nomad gathering is facing great danger; the Israeli measures might ,eventually, break these helpless farmers and force them to move away. The Israeli Occupation Army raids the gathering and the houses on daily basis; in addition, it attacks the herders and stop them from reaching the water sources. In the end, they handed them the recent orders.
Al Matwi is about 2800 dunums in area; it is located to the north of Salfit and is classified as area ‘C’ according to Oslo interim agreement. It located nearby Ariel colony, one of the largest in the West Bank, which was built over lands confiscated from Salfit.
The Palestinians are not allowed to exploit the area before receiving permits from the Israeli Occupation Army. Despite the fact that the area is rich with ground water and water springs and the fact that it used to be a recreational area for having beautiful views it is now a disgusting area that people try to avoid passing by.
The Israelis have rerouted Ariel sewage path to pass through the area, turning it into one of the worst areas in the West Bank. Insects, wild boars, and other animals roam the area now. The sewage also caused the pollution of most of the water springs in the area; springs that used to supply 30% of Salfit Governorate needs are now useless.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
