Violation: ravaging 21 olive trees.
Location: Abu Hlala in Al Janiya – Ramallah.
Date: March 9, 2013.
Details:
Khayri Samhan was full of sorrow when he was picking the remains of the trees which he has been maintaining for over 50 years. However, these trees were ravaged by ruthless Israeli colonists who attacked his field on March 9, 2013.
Colonists cut down 21 trees but the owner did not know of the attack until the next day when he was granted permission, along other farmers, to gain access to his field. The colonists took advantage of the access restrictions imposed on Palestinian farmers to commit their crimes as they are free to roam the lands which are classified as "closed military zone".
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Picture 1: damage
[1]Table: ravaged trees:
|
Victim
|
Family members
|
Ravaged trees
|
Area (dunum)
|
|
Yousuf Samhan
|
9
|
8
|
1
|
|
Khayri Samhan
|
4
|
13
|
1.5
|
|
Total
|
13
|
21
|
2.5
|
*source: Field Observations – Monitoring Israeli Human Rights Violations Team – LRC
Al Janiya, a target of Israeli colonization:
Colonization and land confiscation is the danger facing the village rendering many of its inhabitants sleepless many nights. The colonies surrounding the village are expanding on daily basis as well as a bypass which is ripping it into two. More than 70 % of the village total area was captured to serve the Israeli colonial expansions; some have already been used for construction while the rest is considered "security buffer zones" which are left for future expansions. A number of colonies surround the village including:
- Dolev: the first colony built over the village lands. It was established in 1983 over Miidros Mountaint in te eastern part of Al Janiya.
Its total area has reached up to 225 dunums. The Israeli Army announced all the areas around it as military zone rendering it inaccessible to the Palestinians. - Talmon: Talmon is a series of Israeli colonies covering a number of mountain summits in the area. It was established in 1989 to reach a total area of 449 dunums. It includes:
- Talmon A: a large colony that was built in Abu Hlala in the eastern part of the village; the lands in this area were known for their fertility as well as the availability of a water spring which used to be one the major sources of water in the village.
- Talmon B: it is located on the top of Ras al Mghar Mountain; it started with a number of mobile homes and has been expanding ever since.
- Talmon C: it is mainly located on Ras abu Zaitoun Mountain in the northern part of the village. It expanded to reach nearby mountain summits.
All the colonies are connected through two bypasses which also connect them to Dolev colony and An Nabi Saleh.
Al Janiya: it is located 8 km to the north of Ramallah; its total area is around 7800 dunums inhabited by 1470 people who depend largely on agriculture in their income.
