Violation: Razing 25 dunums of agricultural land
Location: Yasuf village- Salfit governorate
Date: 20/03/2014
Perpetrators: Colonists of Tapuah
Victims: People of Yasuf
Details:
On March 03, 2014, colonists of Tapuah commenced on ravaging agricultural land of Yasuf village in preparation of seizing and replanting it by colonists in accordance with their expansion plan.
According to eyewitnesses and an LRC field visit, the total area of the ravaged agricultural land for the sake of colonial activities amounted up to 25 dunums where colonists fenced and planted it again. They also built an agricultural room in the area though the land is not within the buffer zone of the colony and is at least 2km away from Tapuah.
Pictures 1+2: The targeted land+ caravans+ mobile tents for colonists
It is worth mentioning that the land has been under attack since last March where colonists set up a caravan on the land after ravaging a piece of it. The Israeli occupation army provided the colonists with protection announcing the area a closed military zone and denying farmers access.
The land belongs to farmers from Yasuf who were used to plant and take care of it before the Israeli soldiers and colonists made it very hard to even reach the land in the first place.
Refusing farmers passage into their agricultural lands:
Within the same context, the Israeli occupation army installed a number of military tents adjacent to the targeted area to protect colonists and disallow farmers to reach the area a while ago.
Mr. Ibrahim Mislih, a member of Yasuf village council, stated to an LRC observer that: "The Israeli army prohibit farmers from having access to their land and harass them. It should be marked that the targeted land is planted with tenths of trees from different kinds of fruit and vegetables. Such actions have a dreary effect on the agricultural sector in the area, let alone the danger they cause as they threat the Palestinians' very existence while the international community keeps silent."
Yasuf:
It is 16km south of Nablus. Yasuf is surrounded by Huwara and Jamma'in (north), Marda (west), Yatma (east), and Iskaka (south). Yasuf is inhabited by 2090 people (according to 2013 projections). It has a total area of 6037 dunums, 330 of which are built-up area of the village.
The Israeli occupation confiscated 814 dunums for these two colonies: Kfar Tapuah colony which was built on Yasuf lands in 1978. The colony is inhabited by 523 colonists and Rachelim- Shvut that was built in 1991 and devoured 10 dunums.
Besides, bypass number 508 confiscated more than 155 dunums of the village lands.
According to Oslo Accords, only 1427 dunums of Yasuf lands are under Area B (PA is in charge of civil matters with Israel responsible for security) while most of Yasuf is under Area C (Israel maintains full security and administrative control). About of 4609 dunums of Yasuf is in area C.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
