Violation: burning down fields by colonists
Location: the villages of Kifl Qallil and Qusra
Date: July 31 and August 1st
Perpetrators: Yesh Kodish colonists
Victims: farmers form the villages
Details:
The Israeli occupation is aware of the importance of the agricultural sector for Palestinian farmers. Thus, it worked hard to destroy this sector so that the lives of Palestinians get destroyed.
The Israeli occupation authorities on July 31, 2015 set fire to 35 agricultural dunums in the southern part Kifl Qallil village that is adjacent to Huwwara military checkpoint.
It is indicated that the fire started due to the foliage of illuminating cartridges onto agricultural lands. The incident took place at time of dispersing a Palestinian demonstration at Huwwara checkpoint, condemning the torching of a Palestinian family alive in the Nablus village of Duma the other day.
Noteworthy, the fire spread all over an area of 35 dunums due to the presence of hay and the high temperature. 26 dunums were reported to be unused where the rest 9 dumums were planted with olive trees aging 50 years. As a result, 45 trees were partially damaged due to the flames.
The affected trees belong to farmer Suliman Al-Qanna (76) from the village of Kifl Qallil. Noteworthy, the farmer’s house is located next to the burned down trees.
Photos 1-4: the fire reaching out the olive trees
The Palestinian fire department, with help of residents of the area, managed to extinguish the fire before it spreads all over the neighboring fields. At first, it was reported that the Israeli occupation hindered the fire department from accessing the scene for unknown reasons.
Burning down the barely fields in Qusra village:
Qusra village has witnessed too many attacks by the Israeli occupation army and colonists, who destroyed vast area of lands from the village. A group of Yesh Kodish colonists on August 01, 2015 attacked Palestinian farmers who were running a reclamation project on some lands in cooperation with the Qusra village council. Colonist, then, set fire to 1.5 dunums in the area of Al-Wa’ar and 2 dunums in the area of Bsaltah. Noteworthy, the aforementioned areas were planted with barley.
Photos 5-6: the burned down barley fields
The affected land belongs to farmer AbdelMajid Hasan (67), who provides livelihood for his 7 member family through agriculture and sheep husbandry.
It is indicated that a big number of the village’s youth helped extinguishing the fire in order not to reach out vast areas, causing more losses and damage
Farmer AbdelMajid Hasan told a researcher from Land Research Center the following:
“The last attack on the barely fields is not the first of a kind; same attack happened many times by the same group of colonists. My house witnessed numerous break-ins and raids, the last of which was in 2013 and ended up with destroying its interior. In 2012, soldiers of the occupation shot me in the leg; all of what the occupation did is for the sake of terrorizing my family and force us leave the area”.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
