Violation: Cutting down a number of olive trees
Location: Umm ar Rihan- Jenin governorate
Date: 21/05/2014
Perpetrators: Colonists of Shaked
Victims: Ahmad Kilani
Details:
Umm ar Rihan, east of Jenin, has witnessed a new wave of attack against trees. At the early hours of Wednesday, May 21, a group of colonists from Shaked broke into Khallet al Wa'r, located in natural block no. 7, parcel no. 63 of ar Rihan lands where the colonists cut down 14 olive trees, 5-10 years of age, rendering them fully damaged. The trees belong to Ahmad Kilani (45) from Umm ar Rihan village.
The colonists were not content with destroying the trees only, so they also stole some of them and moved them inside the colony which is built on the village lands.
Pictures 1-3: The targeted trees in Umm ar Rihan
Kilani asserted to an LRC observer that:
" It is the second time during the same year that my trees have been attacked. The first was carried out in August 2013 when colonists cut down and stole 17 olive trees and the second is today."
He added, "Though I have the deeds that prove my ownership of the land and I filed a complaint against the colonists at an Israeli police station, all my efforts were rendered futile. The colonists did not receive any punishment."
Umm ar Rihan:
16 km west of Jenin, Umm ar Rihan is surrounded by the Green Line (from the north and west), the colonies of Tel Menashiya, Hananit, and Shaked (east), colony of Rihan (south) and Khirbet Abdullah Al Younes (southwest).
Umm ar Rihan is inhabited by 477 people according to 2014 population projections and they all belong to Kilani family.
Umm ar Rihan has been a target for the Israeli occupation for long. The Separation Wall has isolated the whole village which is classified area C according to Oslo Accords. There are many restrictions imposed on the freedom of movement of the inhabitants of Umm ar Rihan who have to obtain special permits in order to cross the only gate linking the village to its Palestinian surroundings.
The colonies founded on Umm Rihan confiscated 2223 dunums of its lands while 154 dunums were devoured for the sake of bypass roads no. 596 & 6235.
The map shows the geographic location to Umm ar Rihan that is isolated behind the Wall- Jenin governorate
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
