Violation: knocking down four electricity poles.
Location: Beut Jala, Bethlehem.
Date: January 16, 2013.
Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army.
Victims: residents of Beit Jala.
Details:
On January 16, 2013, Israeli troops accompanied by dozers broke into al Makhrour area in Beit Jala and knocked down four main power poles. The Israeli troops set a perimeter around the area and prevented anyone from getting in. The operation left the area, inhabited by 3 families, in the dark.
Last year, the Israelis knockdown 53 electricity poles in the same area. Al Makhrour has been facing numerous aggressions lately including houses and structures demolitions and land confiscations.
Picture 1: Israeli dozers knocking down poles
Beit Jala:
It is located 1 km to the west of Bethlehem and 8 km to the south west of the Occupied City of Jerusalem. 3147 dunums (22%) of the town’s lands were confiscated to expand the borders of ‘greater Jerusalem’ and a number of surrounding colonies including:
Gilo: it was established in 1971 to cover around 2738 dunums in area nowadays. 1117 dunums are part of Beit Jala lands. The colony is inhabited by 31500 colonists.
Har Gilo: it was established in 1972 to cover around 420 dunums in area nowadays. 314 dunums are part of Beit Jala lands. The colony is inhabited by 414 colonists.
Area and Location:
Beit Jala is inhabited by 16700 Palestinians (PCBS). Its total area is 14337 dunums divided into 6142 dunums (area ‘A’), 91 dunums (area ‘B’), and 8104 dunums (area ‘C’) (Oslo Interim Agreement 1995).
Al Makhrour:
Al Makhrour is a valley located to the west of Beit Jala; it has been targeted by the Israelis since the first days of occupation because of its strategic location. It is surrounded by the bypass leading to the Occupied City of Jerusalem (east), al Walaja (north), Battir (west), and al Khader (south). Its total area is around 3500 dunums planted mostly with prunus and olives.
