Violation: the occupation serves an confiscation order on lands
Date:22/12/2013
Location: Qusra village
Perpetrators: the army of the Israeli occupation
Victims: 30 agricultural families
Details:
On December 22d 2013, the village council of Qusra was served an military order issued by the Israeli District Coordination Office DCO and signed by the commander of the army of the occupation in the West Bank. The order no.(T/31/7) attached with maps and photos mentioned putting hand on lands located between Yish Kodesh colony and the area of al-We're, which is situated within the natural block no.19; piece no.22, east of Qusra. As usual, the occupation justified such an act under the pretext of "Security reasons".
According to the attached map, an area of 3.11 dunums will be confiscated and that the apartheid fence will be set up in the colony periphery.
The attachment that came with the military order
It should be marked that the occupation banned Palestinian citizens from reaching out the 500dunums periphery of Yish Kodesh colony. This area will be classified as buffer zone. As a result, another 500 dunums will be confiscated. The lands declared inaccessible namely (al-Hinieh, Khallet el-Wusta, Hariqit Awad, al-Wadi, Baslta, and Shu'b al-We're) are about 1.5km within the colony borders.
It should be mentioned that the issuance of this order will have serious implications on not less than 30 families who own lands in the targeted location since the famers were denied access to it. lands inaccessibility started in 2000 under the pretext of " security reasons" that were represented in protecting colonists who in this regard loot vast area to expand the colony.
It should also be marked that the order assigned December 26th 2013 for a field tour for the owners of the lands. These farmers also have the right to object the order through the DCO in Nablus area or in the office of the legal consultant of the area within a period of seven days from the tour time.
About Qusra:
It is located 18 km to the south east of Nablus city and is administered by Qusra village Council.Its total area is 9878 dunums that include 776 dunums of built up area. However, this area does not cover the expansion requirements of the village which forced a lot of the locals to build their houses in areas classified ‘C’ according to Oslo.
Qusra is inhabited by 4377 people according to the PBS statistics of 2007.
It must be pointed that in 1982, Qusra and the nearby Jurish villages faced a large scale land confiscation campaign in preparation for the establishment of Majdulim colony which now covers an area of 170.6 dunums inhabited by 152 colonists.
On the other hand, Qusra is suffering from the increase in demolition orders issued against structures in the village. More than 15 structures are facing real demolition threats. Migdalim colony have been a starting point for several attacks on the Palestinians and their properties. In the summer of 2008, colonists plowed huge areas of Palestinian lands before capturing them, similar aggressions took place several times.
Also, numerous attacks on farmers and shepherds were reported throughout the years.On the other hand, the village is suffering from the increased number of demolition orders issued against structures in the village; so far, 15 structures and the village main road are threatened.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
