- Violation: evacuation order on lands
- Location: Wad Qana area- Salfit governorate
- Date: February 07, 2017
- Perpetrators: Israel Nature Authority
- Victims: three Palestinian families
Details:
The so-called officer of Israel Nature Authority accompanied by Israeli Occupation Forces raided on February 07, 2017 Wad Qana area, north Salfit governorate and delivered three evacuation orders for the owners of lands in there. The orders mentioned the uprooting of 200 olive seedlings planted a year ago and the demolishing of 136m of retaining walls in addition to the removing of two plastic tanks (1m3 each).
The orders were reported served on the claim of the targeted items being founded in area classified as "natural reserve" by the Israelis. The affected owners were given a seven day deadline to carry out the order otherwise the occupation forces would do the job and all expenses will be billed to the farmers.
Photos 1-4: one of the targeted plots
The following table shows information about the affected people and properties:
|
Affected citizen |
Family |
Minors |
Area of targeted plot |
Nature of damage |
No. of order |
|
Baker Awwad |
7 |
2 |
3.5 |
Demolition of 70m of retaining walls Uprooting 60olive trees (3years) Removal of water tank (1m3) |
|
|
Abdelaziz Aqel |
5 |
0 |
3 |
Demolition of 31 of retaining walls Uprooting 70olive trees (3years)
|
|
|
Riziq Naser |
6 |
3 |
4 |
Demolition of 65m of retaining walls Uprooting 70olive trees (3years) Removal of water tank (1m3) |
N/A |
|
Total |
18 |
5 |
10.5 |
|
|
Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-2017
Since 1967, Israeli Occupation Forces declared the area of Wad Qana (10,000 dunums) as a natural reserve, where Palestinian are banned from using the area whatsoever. Not only, the Israeli Occupation filled the area with colonies, which did not stop expanding ever since that date. Hundreds of agricultural dunums were stolen from Palestinian for the sake of expanding the existing colonies in Wad Qana. Other massive areas were taken to open roads and networks to connect all colonies of the area one with the other.
Over the past couple of years, the Israeli occupation issued a series of military orders to confiscate hundreds of other dunums from Wad Qana for the favor of expanding Yakir and Revava colonies at the expense of Palestinian private lands.
About Wad Qana:
It is located 10km to the northwestern part of Deir Istiya and surrounded by: Jinsafut, Kfar Laqif and Azzun from the east, and Kfar Thulth form the west. The valley overlooks "Yakir" colony from the southern side and is near to "Nofim" colony.
Wad Qana is relative to the village of Deir Istiya (34,129 dunums) and has a total land area of 10,000 dunums, of which 13 dunums are built-up area. Worth mentioning, the place is planted with citrus, olives, and field crops.
The area is a natural slope that is located between two mountains and is famous for water abundance and soil fertility.
The lands of Deir Istiya are classified, according to Oslo accords as follows:
- Area B: it totals around 6132 dunums (18% of the village's total area)
- Area C : it totals around 27997 dunums (82% of the village's total area)
- Noteworthy, Wad Qana lands are all classified as area C.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
