Violation: The issuance of three Demolition Orders against water cisterns.
Location: Al Arma Parcel within the area of Aqraba south of Nablus Governorate.
Date: June 13, 2011.
Details:
Israeli occupation forces accompanied representatives of the so-called Israeli “Civil Administration” on Monday June 12, 2011, while raiding the village of Aqraba. The representatives gave three Palestinian farmers three Demolition Orders against their water cisterns. The Orders gave the farmers only one week to “restore the area to its original status”!!. Moreover, the Israeli forces confiscated the heavy machinery used in the digging process and informed its driver, Mr. Hayel Kazem of Aqraba, that he has to go to the military court in the settlement of Kadumim.
The cisterns were established with funding from the UNDP and in association with the Union of Agricultural Relief Committees (UAWC). Their owners are Mr. Hani Ahmad Ayed Bani Fadel, Mr. Ayed Ahmad Ayed Bani Fadel and Mr. Imad Faleh Ahmad Bani Fadel, all from Aqraba. It has to be mentioned that Israeli occupation forces raided the same location on March 22, 2011, and distributed Stop Work Orders against the same cisterns.
The area of Al Arma has been targeted by the occupation forces in order to annex it to the nearby colony of Itamar. Tens of attacks by the colonists of Itmar were recorded in the past few years against Palestinian farmers working in the said area. In addition, tens of olive trees planted by the Palestinians in the area were readily uprooted by the extremists of Itamar. All such attacks were carried out under the watchful and protective eyes of the Israeli occupation forces. Nothing was done to stop the colonists from carrying out such violations and violence.
General Information about Aqraba:
The town is located 18 kilometers south east of the City of Nablus. The area of its lands is almost 34,000 dunums of which 13,000 are its built-up area. Around 62% of its lands are planted with olive trees, 8% are used for summer and winter vegetations while 30% are grazing area.
There are a number of smaller villages and khirbets associated with the town including the following: khirbet Al Armeh, Al Kroom, Khirbet Abu Al Reisah, Khirbet Al Rujman, Khirbet Firas Al Dien in addition to Khirbet Tal Al Khashabeh. The population of the surrounding khirbets and villages is about 500 in addition to the 7,707 population of Aqraba itself.
There are a number main clans in the town including Bani Jaber, Al Mayadmeh, Bani Jame’, Bani Fadel in addition to Al Deili.
As for the unemployment rate in the town, it reached around 50% due to Israeli occupation policies since the beginning of the Second Intifada in 2000 which pushed Palestinian workers to work in the Palestinian private and public sector as well as in the agriculture sector.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
