- Violation: An Israeli resolution to transform 107 dunums for settlements’ public services.
- Location: south Aqabat Jaber refugees’ camp/ Jericho and the Jordan valley area.
- Date: 9th January 2019.
- Perpetrator: The Israeli occupation civil administration.
- Victims: people of the area.
Description:
The Israeli occupation building and organizing committee published on the Ministry of Finance website a detailed plan 1400/13/17 , which will devour 107 dunums south Aqabet Jaber in order to establish an electric power station for surrounding settlements and outposts.
Photo 1: the post on the ministry of Finance website
Photo 2: the detailed plan that was published on the ministry of finance website 9th march 2019
Photo 3: an aerial photography showing the location of the electric power station
The targeted area are pastoral lands, of which the Israeli occupation considers state’s properties. The area used to be a military camp during British Mandate on Palestine; Later on, the occupation took over the area , to use it for colonial expansion, especially for “Vered Yeriho” and “Mizpe Yeriho” settlements.
Photos 4-6: the remains of the British military camp
Photos 7+8: Mizpe Yeriho settlement
Few meters away, the occupation is sophisticating Palestinians of “Aqabat Jaber refugees camp” , most of them received military orders targeting their structure and facilities , on the pretext of licensing issues. Noteworthy, the occupation never gives licenses in the area. Aqabat Jaber populates 13,000 people and they are not allowed to build any new structures, such Israeli measures left the refugees’ camp with conditions that are unsuitable for humans’ living.
Photo 9: Aqabat Jaber refugees’ camp
Photo 10:The targeted location between Aqabat Jaber and “Vered Yeriho”
The plan to empty the area of its original inhabitants is still on. Indeed, the Israeli occupation seeks to impose its agenda in favor of colonial expansion there to keep the Palestinian farmers victims of those racist schemes and then push them away in the long run.
The Palestinian Jordan Valley al-ghoor is known for its abundance of pastures and water, not mentioning the beauty of its sceneries and unique nature. For Palestinian, al-ghoor is the Palestine gate to the east.
Since 1967 , the Israeli occupation worked day and night to take over al-ghoor area and its natural resources in all possible ways even those that contradict human rights. Thus, it declared the whole area (720,000 dunums) as the eastern border with Jordan. Minister of Labor Yegal Alon once said: “In order for the integration between the safety of the country and its Jadishness, the Jordan river must be drawn as the eastern border of Israel”.
To achieve that, the occupation transformed vast areas into military training camps (400,000 dunums) and established 97 military base. In addition to that, pastoral areas nearby Bedouin communities were changed into landmines fields, leaving Bedouins; especially kids under imminent danger.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC