Violation: a military order to confiscate 93 dunums
Location: Azzun village- Qalqiliya
Date: December 27, 2015
Perpetrators: the Israeli occupation forces
Victims: residents of the area
Details:
The so-called Israel Civil Administration issued on December 27, 2015 a military order to confiscate 93 agricultural dunums from the lands of Azzun; the northwest of the village and next to the bypass road number 55.
Photos 1-3: Copy of the military order
According to the order signed by the chief of Civil Administration, David Amid, the lands will be confiscated for the purpose of opening a bypass road perpendicular to the bypass road number 55 that passes through Nabi Ilyas town towards Azzun village. The road will be opened as a substitute to the road that travels through Palestinian towns and villages. Noteworthy, the road will be of 2.7 km in length and 35m in width.
Photo 2: the bypass road number 55
Map 1: An aerial photo explaining the route of the planned new road
The military order targeting the area
It should be marked that the targeted lands are located within the natural block number 2 from the locations of Al-Manatir, Hariqat Al-Alam, Al-Sahlah, Manzal Al-Qammh, Al-Baydar and Manzalit Hammodih from the village of Azzun.
The planed road is reported to destroy vast area of agricultural lands from the village. Azzun is exhausted by the losses inflected due to the colonial expansion plans, the apartheid wall and Israeli colonies.
About Azzun Attma:
Located 8km to Qalqiliya city with a total area of 9,472 dunums, of which 1,054 dunums are the village’s built-up area, Azzun is inhabited by 7,821 people (2007).
The occupation confiscated vast area from the village for the favor of colonization and the apartheid wall; the areas are detailed as follows:
- 276 dunums were confiscated for Maale Shamron colony that was established in 1980.
- 417 dunums were confiscated for the bypass road number 55
It should be marked that the vast majority of Azzun lands (6,927 dunums) is classified as area “C” according to Oslo accords; areas that are controlled by the Israeli occupation. The village has zero percentage of area “A” that is under the control of Palestinian Authority. As for other classifications, the village has 2,546 dunums classified as area “B”. (Geographical Information System- Land Research Center)
3 colonies are built on 'Azzun lands and they are:
- Maale Shomron: Built in 1980, the colony has a total area of 1903 and a built-up area of 216 dunums. 549 colonists live in it (according to a 2004 census).
- Genot Shomron: Built in 1985, the colony's built-up area is 484 dunums.
- Karni Shomron: Built in 1978, the colony's built-up area is 1351 dunums. 6270 colonists live in it (according to a 2005 census).
Some International conventions and Humanitarian laws pertaining to attacks on land and natural resources are:
Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:
- Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
- No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights States:
"All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence."
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
