- Violation: destroying irrigation networks
- Location: Azzun Atma village- Qalqiliya
- Date: July 24, 2016
- Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation Forces
- Victims: four agricultural families
Details:
At the early hours of July 24, 2016, a massive force from the Israeli occupation army raided the area of Bayyarit Al-Shalleh, west Azzun Atma village and embarked on destroying irrigation networks that are used to serve 23 dunums of thyme fields. The troops cut down the pipes and tubes and then moved them to the nearby colony of Oranit via military trucks.
Noteworthy, the occupation did not deliver confiscation minutes to the affected farmers. The occupation justified the destruction of the networks on the claim of "stealing water from Israeli water company"
Photos 1-2: the ravaged agricultural lands due to the destruction of irrigation networks
Photos 3-4: Al-Shalleh water well
Photos 5-9: the destroyed irrigation networks
An affected farmer, Hani Amer, told Land Research Center the following: "Irrigation networks are crucial for Palestinian farmers; it is the base of cultivation process. The cost of the damaged networks reached up to 5000 NIS per dunum. Crops will dry and we will get forced to sell them for a cheap price before they go bad"
Engineer Sadiq Oudeh from Agricultural Relief told Land Research Center the following: " The recently targeted area is only 100m away from the wall of Oranit colony. The occupation aims to take over this area to full control it"
The following table shows information about damages resulted due to the destruction of the networks:
|
Affected citizen |
Family |
Minors |
Targeted lands\dunum |
Damaged crops |
|
Amer Hani |
5 |
0 |
5 |
Thyme |
|
Ghraba Dheib |
6 |
3 |
10 |
Thyme |
|
Omar Azmi |
6 |
2 |
5 |
Thyme |
|
Omar Abdallah |
4 |
2 |
3 |
Thyme |
|
Total |
21 |
7 |
23 |
|
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).
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
