Violation: Further blocking Qaryut entrance with rocks and earth mounds
Location: Qaryut village, Nablus governorate
Date: 19/06/2014
Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army
Victims: People of the villages and towns of Talfit, Qusra, Jurish, Jalud and Qaryut
Details:
"If we have any hope, it got shattered now," with these words Mr. Raja Issa commented on the renewed closure of the road. The head of Qaryut village council expressed so much sadness and pain at the new status of the road, especially that he and his people did not spare a chance to reopen it.
At the evening of Thursday, June 19, the bulldozers of the Israeli occupation consolidated the blockade of the southern entrance of Qaryut, known as al- Ein St. by setting up earth mounds at two sections of the road; only 300 meters away from each other.
That step came after the people of Qaryut received promises from the state authorities to reopen it soon, noting that it has been blocked since 2000. The locals have pleaded to the Israeli Supreme Court to reopen the entrance but their efforts have been in vain.
Picture 1: The targeted road
Picture 2: Aerial image of the location where closures are in red
A tiring road towards reopening the road!
In an interview by LRC field researcher with the head of Qaryut village council, the latter stated the following: "Al-Ein road is 2400 meters long and before its closure in the second intifada, it used to serve the villages and towns of Talfit, Qusra, Jurish, Jalud and Qaryut in the southern countryside of Nablus. The entrance used to connect the village to by-pass road ‘60’ leading to Ramallah. It was considered vital for the prosperity of the village. With it being closed, the locals have to pass 22 extra km to get behind the blocked entrance. This surely drains the Palestinians and costs them extra expenses."
He added: “We tried to obtain a building permit for the road in 2005, 2007 and 2010 via the Supreme Planning Council but the Israeli occupation kept turning our request down until they accepted on July 24, 2011. The council commenced with procedures and paid a huge amount of money only to be shocked at the technical complications needed to have a file. In April 2014, we received promises that the entrance would soon be reopened. Well, they only blocked it further."
About Qaryut:
It is located 20 km to the south east of Nablus city; a 4.5 km road connects the village to Nablus-Jerusalem road, the road has been closed by the Israeli Occupation Authorities since 2000. Its total area is about 8,471 dunum, 312 dunums of residential areas. Around 2,321 people currently live in the village.
The Israeli Occupation Authorities expropriated about 1,332 dunums for the expansion of the following colonies:
Shilo: established in 1978; its share of Qaryut lands was about 779 dunums and the residential area of the settlement is about 1,347 dunums.
- Eli: established in 1984. It devoured 553 dunums of the village lands. Its built up area is 3,360 dunums.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
