On the 12th of March 2015, what is so-called the “Israeli Civil Administration” related to the Israeli Occupation Army issued 5 military orders to evacuate Palestinian lands in Khirbet Jurat Al-Khail area in Sai’r town, northeast of the city of Hebron.
|
No. of Military Orders |
Area (Dunums) |
Trees/Structures |
|
6 |
250 trees |
|
|
12 |
300 trees |
|
|
6.5 |
70 trees |
|
|
5 |
50 trees |
|
|
2 |
15 trees |
|
|
Total |
31.5 dunums |
685 trees |
The expropriation orders ,issued by the “Custodian of the State Property” , claimed that the targeted lands classified as “State land” and therefore, the Palestinian land owners have to evacuate it within 45 days, including the uprooting of all the trees and demolition all the structures in the lands. Noted that the lands are agricultural lands, and planted with about 685 trees.
The Location of the targeted land
A geopolitical analysis conducted by the Settlement Monitoring Department at the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ), showed that the targeted lands located in Khirbet Jurat Al-Khail, northeast of Sai’r town in Hebron governorate…Moreover, the targeted lands located within an area classified by the Israeli Authorities as“ Survey State land”, which means that the Israeli Authorities prepared to declare these land (31.5 dunums) as “State land”. Also, the targeted lands located within the area classified as “Area C” (According to Oslo Accords in 1995), which means that the Area C , Israeli Authorities retains full control over security and administration matters.
These orders will help the Israeli Authorities to confiscate the land (31.5 dunums) under the claim of “State land”, and the targeted lands surrounded by lands and areas “Survey State land” and “Declared state land”, and the Israeli illegal settlement of Asfar located southeast of the targeted land. For that, the confiscation of these lands will serve the Israeli settlement project and the expansion of the aforementioned settlement in specific.
“State Land” Expropriation
- Before 1967, the Jordanian government was responsible for the lands in the West Bank, and some of these lands were under the Jordanian Authorities control and classified as “State land”.
- Following the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territory in 1967, Israel took over all of the lands; included the those classified during the Jordanian rule as “State land”.
- Later on , and throughout the years of the Israeli occupation, the Israeli authorities had surveyed the lands in the West bank, and declared some of it as “State land” and keep others as “Survey state land” as an initial step it to be declared as “State land” late on…
For that, the military orders which targeted 31.5 dunums of private Palestinian land in Sai’r town, considered a first step to annex the land by declaring its as “State land”, to be officially under the Israeli Authorities control.
Sa’ir is a Palestinian town located about 8 kilometers northeast of the city of Hebron in the southern parts of the West Bank. It is bordered by the Dead Sea from the east, Beit Fajjar and Al Arroub camp from the north, Halhul town to the west and Bani Na’im and Al Shuyukh villages to the south.
Sa’ir is surrounded by two illegal Israeli settlements Asfer and Kiryat Arba’. The illegal settlement of Asfer built on 1500 dunums east of Sa’ir while the settlement of Kiryat Arba’ built on 300 dunums from the Palestinian lands to the west of the town.
Furthermore, one gate, several flying checkpoints and earth mound roadblocks restrict town residents.
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
