- Violation: New colonial scheme.
- Location: Abud and Al-Lubban Al-Gharbi towns.
- Date: July 19 -2018.
- Perpetrator: The Israeli occupation civil administration.
- Victim : Number of farmers from the two villages.
Description:
New Israeli scheme to take over Palestinian lands for colonial purposes, The Israeli occupation dozers carried out ravages to open a new road that connects “Beit Arye” north and “Ofarim” south settlements, the mentioned bypass road will devour 324 dunums of Palestinian lands. According to LRC field observer, the occupation army used exploding materials to crumble rocks of the surrounding hills.
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Photos 1-8: Israeli machines land leveling to open a new bypass road.
Hanna Khouri head of Abud Rural council told LRC observer:
“ We were surprised few days ago when the occupation brought vehicles to open a new road to connect “Beit Arye” and “Ofarim” settlement over Yaboud and Al-Lubban Al-Gharbi towns, the targeted lands the occupation labels as state’s property most of them were confiscated in 2006 after unjust military-orders, most of the lands surround the yet to construct road are agricultural and owned by farmers from the 2 towns, It was noticed lately that the occupation army and settlers are assaulting people of the lands to stop them from reaching or cultivate them, the area is estimated to be more than 1500 dunums sided be 2 settlements, this is the first step towards completely Judaizing the area and prohibit Palestinian farmers from reaching their, It is possible that the occupation will build permanent housing units in the two sides of the road which will form settlement blocs. Noteworthy, each geographical expansion in any settlement is preceded by a road and infrastructure construction, at the end of the plan, the two settlements will be connected to each other while Palestinian villages will be divided.”
Hannad added: “ in the recent 2 centuries Abud was subjected of Israeli confiscation of wide areas of agricultural lands especially in years (1996 , 2000, 2006) to reach 6000 dunums, Yabud has an area of 15000 dunums, the occupation army closed main entrance that connects Yabud to Al-Laban Al-Gharbi lands in 2000 the entrance was beneficial to the whole area”.
Before conducting this colonial project, the plan was revealed on the Israeli Ministry of Finance webpage.
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Photos 9+10: announcement of the new plan on The Israeli Ministry of Finance Webpage.
The plan target citizens lands in the following areas:
- Basin 2 parts of Abud : Al-Wajh al –Gharbi and Al-Wajh Al-Qabli.
- Basin 2 of Al-lubban: Khalet Adeh and Ras Kalb.
- Basin 3 of Al-Lubban: Haroqat Khira and Erra Al-Rihaniya.
- Basin 3 of Abud: Wad Ath-Theeb.
- Basin 4 of Abud: Al-Wajh Ash-Shami.
- Basin 7 of Al-Lubban: At-Tanana.
Rural council records shows that the targeted lands belong to number of the town’s family and they are Khori, Issa , Samareen and Ash-Sharqawi, Al-Lubban Al-Gharbi from Abud village, And Ar-Radi from Al-Laban Al-Gharbi village.
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Photos 11-13 : part of the revealed plan on the Israeli Ministry of Finance.
Photo 14: Aerial plan of the new road.
Noteworthy, The occupation is violating International declaration of human rights, United nation decrees, international conventions like Haguh and Geneva fourth conventions, the occupation does not have the right to move its citizens to parts of the occupied territories, nor the right of land confiscation or residents eviction.
This new road will obstruct Palestinian movement and expansion, and change the Identity of the location to make illegal settlements appear as the right holder and Palestinian villages the disharmony.
LRC sees that Israeli violations in Palestine kill the two state solution, If the world is pushing towards the two state solution Israel should be obliged to adhere to international conventions, and dismantle its settlements from the west bank.
New residential quarters in “Beit Arye” :
Field observation shows that during recent 5 years , new residential quarters were added to the southern and western sides of the Beit arye, which doubled its size, and reveals the occupation care to expand settlements of the area.
Beit Arye :
Beit Arye was established in 1977 over lands of Al Lubban and ‘Abud to the north of Ramallah. Its total area nowadays is around 1653 dunums inhabited by over 3400 people.
The colony is named after Arye Ben-Eleizer one of the leaders of the Herut terrorist movement and one of the founder of the Israeli “Likud” party.
Ofarim:
Ofarim is a (religious- secular) community ” Kiputs” that was established in 1989 on lands from ‘Abud, Rantis and Lubban al-Gharbi villages. The colony’s total area is 1380 dunums. The colony accommodate a synagogue, a daycare, a day club, and a library. Ofarim population totals around 870 until 2008.
Legal Feedback:
The policy of the Israeli occupation authorities of confiscating Palestinian lands in order to build illegal random outposts and settlements can only be regarded as a violation of all international conventions and agreements like:
The Geneva Fourth convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in the times of war:
- Security council resolution 242 year 1967: Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict; and Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territoial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.
- Security council resolution 446 year 1979: Determines that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;
- Security council resolution 452 year 1979: the resolution once again denounced Israel’s settlement activities in territories occupied in 1976 including (East) Jerusalem, this activity constituting a violation of the Fourth Geneva convention, and called on Israel to cease planning and construction of settlements
- Security council resolution 465 year 1980: calls to dismantle the existing settlements and in particular to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem; Calls upon all States not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion with settlements in the occupied territories;
- Security council resolution 478 year 1980: Censures in the strongest terms the enactment by Israel of the “basic law” on Jerusalem and the refusal to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions,Those States that have established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions from the Holy City.
Hough convention 1907 :
- Article 46: the occupying power must not confiscate Private property .
- Article 55: The occupying State shall be regarded only as administrator and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and agricultural estates belonging to the hostile State, and situated in the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of these properties, and administer them in accordance with the rules of usufruct.
Geneve forth convention 1949:
- Article 49: The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the territories it occupies.
- Article 55: Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited.
- Article 174: taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.
