- Violation: Setting up numbers of caravans east of Kedumim settlement.
- Location: south Kafr Qaddum/ Qalqilya governorate.
- Date: 5th March -2019.
- Perpetrator: settlers of Kedumim.
- Victims: number of farmers from Kafr Qaddum.
Description:
Israeli dozers leveled about 17 dunums of lands east “Kedumim south” outpost, and the settlements council expanded the boundaries of the colony by adding 22 caravans in the location.
Noteworthy, the targeted lands were confiscated by the Israeli Occupation Authorities using Absentees’ properties law, which is active since 1967. By this law the government of Israel gave themselves the right to grab more Palestinian lands.
Noteworthy, Kedumim was established in 2000 over 180 dunums of Palestinian confiscated lands, This settlement along with “Kedumim Merkaz”, “Kedumim Tsivon” , “Har Hemid”and “Mizpe Yeshai” form a grand colonial cluster east Qalqilya city, The cluster is supported by the occupation government and is planned to be transformed into An Israeli city in the heart of Qalqilya governorate.
Families of Kafr Qaddum and Jit are worried that establishing a colonial city in the heart of Qalqilya will devour wide areas of agricultural lands in the Palestinian governorate. Rida Shtaiwi , an activist in the area of Kafe Qaddum said: most of agricultural lands east Qalqilya are located around Kedumim Settlement and its sub-joint outposts, devouring more lands in the area will add more pressure on Palestinian farmers, and make the agricultural sector weaker. In the recent years Kedumim settlement had doubled twice.
Photos 1-5: expansions in Kedumim
Kafr Qaddum:[1]
Kafr Qaddum is located 25 km to the east of Qalqiliya. Its total area is around 20,000 dunums including 1382 dunums of built up area. There are around 2500 dunums of rangeland and 5000 dunums were captured by the Israeli and being used for colonial activities. The rest are agricultural field mostly planted with olive (85%).
Legal Feedback:
The constringing policy by 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.
[1] GIS-LRC
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
