Violation: confiscating pipelines for water proving from area B
Date: 11/09/2014
Location: Sahel el-Buqay'a / Tubas governorate
Perpetrators: the army of the Israeli occupation
Victims: 15 families of 83 members
Details:
In a new crime to be added on the Israeli agenda of lands and natural resources confiscation, the army of the occupation on 11/09/2014 confiscated 1300m of pipelines for water providing (6inch in width) that were temporarily set up in the lands of Atouf, east of Tammun town. Noteworthy, the land is located within area B according to Oslo accord. The pipes( funded by the UNDP and Ministry of Agriculture MoA) were moved to the nearby colony of Beqaot (1km away from the targeted location).
An direct targeting on the Palestinian agricultural sector:
About the full details of the Israeli crime, farmer Ahamad al-Abisi(57); a beneficiary from the pipelines to LRC observer during an interview stated that:
"I own a piece of land that is of 40 dunums in area planted with vegetables and is located in the area of al-Tha'labih, southeast of A'touf and the plains of Sahel el-Buqay'a in Tubas governorate. 14 more farmers besides me own lands planted with vegetables and field crops on an area not less than 150 dunums in the aforementioned location. Despite the fertility of the area, our dilemma is represented in water scarcity and the reason is that the occupation monopolies the water stock in the area known as the eastern Palestinian water basin ".
He also added: "in the middle of the current year, we (15 farmers) managed obtaining funds for a water project through Palestine Ministry of Agriculture and the UNDP with a cost of 20,000 dollars. The project included moving water from an artisan well from the area of Ein Shebli, west of al-Hamra checkpoint to our lands in the area of al-Tha'labih(4km away from the well) through metal pipes (1300m in length and 6inch in width). Noteworthy, the well is owned by my family and is registered since 1963; before the Israeli occupation on Palestine. Not only that, we also obtained a license no.1917-45 from the occupation for the well that pumps 100m3 per hour".
Mr. Ahmad al-Abisi asserted that: " on03/09/2014, the MaO stored the pipes temporarily in the sides of Atouf (area B) to be assembled as soon as possible. To our surprise, the occupation on 11/09/2014 surrounded the area, confiscated the pipelines, and moved them to Beqaot colony under the pretext of " items confiscation for security reasons". As a result, 190 dunums were deprived from benefitting the project, which was to serve the area and around 600 dunums in future"
Photos1-3: the occupation troops while confiscating the pipelines from Sahel al-Buqay'a
Sahel al-Buqay'a ; a treasure looted by the occupation:
The mayor of Tammun Abdelkarim Qasim to the LRC researcher stated that : the total land area of the plains is 98800 dunums, of which 25000 dunums are located within areas classified (B,A) according to Oslo Accords. The rest of lands are classified as area C and is under colonial activities of Beqaot colony and other neighboring ones.
Mr. Abdelkarim also asserted that most of the lowlands are not used properly, which enforced the occupation to confiscate more lands, expel farmers from their lands, and to deprive farmers from water. The UNDP project was one of the pilot projects that could not be realized on the ground.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
