Violation: orders to uprrot 1400 olive trees in WAdi Qam
Date: April 25, 2012.
Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation so-called environmental Protection Agency.
Victims: 9 Palestinian families.
Locaton: Wadi Qana.
Details:
Within the green hills of Wadi Qana, Qasem Mansour, 61, is determined to keep ahold of his fields in the target area despite the Israeli plans. He is known among other farmers for his resilience and determination despite the colonist attacks, land confiscations, ravaging of the lands, etc.
It must be noted that Qasem has been the target of physical abuse several times especially when visiting his 6-dunum field located in parcel 43, in an area known as ‘Qatayen al Jamal’, a field that he used to plant with citrus. Trees have also been set as a target, Israeli colonists where there to uproot and destroy trees whenever the plot was planted.
On April, 25, 2012, Qasem was heading to his field when he found an order signed by the Israeli Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordering him to uproot 30 olive trees which he planted 6 years earlier. According to the order, he was given till May 1, to remove the trees located, according to EPA, in a natural reserve.
Picture 4: EPA order
Other farmers received similar orders, around 1400 trees are endangered.
Table 1: endangered trees:
|
Victim
|
Family members
|
Endangered trees
|
|
Haitham Mansour
|
4
|
100
|
|
Abdul Kareem Mansour
|
35
|
1000
|
|
Nassar Mansour
|
6
|
17
|
|
Khader Mansour
|
22
|
115
|
|
Yusuf Mansour
|
17
|
15
|
|
Sa’id Zidane
|
7
|
30
|
|
Qasem Mansour
|
8
|
30
|
|
Muqbel Awad
|
9
|
50
|
|
Jihad Mansour
|
13
|
35
|
|
Total
|
121
|
1392
|
Wadi Qana – an overview:
Wadi Qana is located to the north west of Deir Istiya. Its total area is around 10,000 dunums.
The Israelis demanded that it will be a natural reserve are before signing Oslo Accord agreement.
Wadi Qana is surrounded by 7 Israeli colonies which devour lands and cause drastic damage to the environment. These colonies are Emmanuel (east), Yakir (east), Nufim (west), Karne Shamron, Ginat Shamron, Maale Shamron (north), and Revava (south) in addition to Nov Uranim which stands in the middle of the valley.
The colonies dump their waste (solid and nonsolid) in the valley which severely damaged the environment and forced many Palestinian residents to evacuate.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
