Israeli Occupation Forces set fire to agricultural lands south Hebron

• Violation: torching agricultural lands
• Location:  Al-Birj area- Hebron governorate
• Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation Forces
• Victims: farmers from the village

Details:

Israeli Occupation Forces caused tens of agricultural dunums to burn down in the Hebron village of Al-Birj, south Hebron governorate. According to locals, Israeli soldiers fired stun-grenades at time of chasing workers nearby the apartheid wall. One grenade landed in an agricultural land west to the village and caused a huge fire in the area of Khallet AL-Hamaleh. Fire spread all over the area and destroyed crops, shrubs and olive groves.

Photos 1-3-: the moment the land caught fire. Courtesy of locals.

Fire reached out wheat crops that were harvested and piled up in stacks. Not only, some grazing fields were burnt down as a result. Fire brigades managed to extinguish the fire after it reached out 70 dunums. Noteworthy, soldiers of the occupation watched while the team of fire brigade did the job.

Photos 4-15: sings of the fire and torched lands

Fire brigade water trucks faced difficulty in reaching out for the fire location due to its proximity to the apartheid wall. Therefore, the trucks took a rood recently rehabilitated b Land Research Center and managed to extinguish the fire from over there. The following table shows information about affected people and property:

Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-2106

In addition to aforementioned damage, fire damaged 17 bees hives owned by citizen Falah Talahmeh. Ten hives were totally damaged where the seven others sustained light damage. Total losses of Talahmeh were estimated of $2000.

The damages resulted due to the fires caused the following:

1. Depriving farmers from wheat crops causing them  financial crisis
2. Sustaining damage to the livestock sector, knowing that animal feed on the leftovers of crops
3. Damaging the soil components and causing imbalance in it
4. Environment hazards due to the smoke
5. Depriving farmers from olive crops and causing them financial issues
6. Burning the forest trees will deprive the residents from the place used to have as a breather for recreational activities.

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC