- Violation: Establishing a new colonial block.
- Location: Shofa lands / South Tulkarim.
- Date : 01/04/2019.
- Perpetrator: “Avnei Hefetz” settlement.
- Victims: People of Shofa.
Description:
The Israeli occupation army set up 16 mobile rooms on 13 dunums , south from “Avnei Hefetz” settlement.
Avenei Hefetz illegal settlement was receiving special support from the Israeli government during the recent years on expansion projects and infrastructural development projects.
Noteworthy, In 2014 the occupation forces issued a military order that considers about 150 dunums of Shofa village lands as “state property”, in the area that surrounds “Avenei Hefetz” , in fact these lands belong to farmers from Izbet Shofa who have been cultivating it for tens of years . Thus, The Israeli government’s military order gave the green light for “Avenei Hefetz” settlers to sabotage crops and trees and take over big parts of the area.
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The Colony of Avnei Hefetz:
The colony was established in 1987 atop lands confiscated by Israeli occupation forces from the villages of Kufr Al Labbad, Al Hafasi and Shofa. The built-up area of the colony is 1,397 dunums of which 355 dunums were confiscated from Kufr Al Labbad. The population of the colony is estimated to be 964.
The colony has expanded over a number of stages as it started with only 12 mobile caravans only to expand to include 110 houses. In the year 2000 the colony witnessed a major expansion spree despite the fact that only a small number of colonists live there. The over-looking position of the colony atop Tulkarm gave the colony a special value as it was used (like others in the West Bank) as a base from which Israeli bulldozers, tanks and jeeps raided Palestinian cities and villages.
About Shofa:
9.5km to the southeast of Tulkarm city, Shofa is inhabited with 2829 people on a total area of 10,969 dunums, of which 343 dunums are considered the built-up area.
It should be marked that the colony of Avnei Hefetz was established on 722 confiscated dunums from Shofa village in 1987. Now, it populates 964 colonists.
To the west of Shofa, Enav colony was established on confiscated lands from the village in 198. The colony is of 1566 dunums and has a built-up area of 696 where 550 colonists live (2005).
The bypass roads, especially took over 420 dunums from the village’s lands.
According to Oslo Accords, the village’s lands are classified as follows:
- 1143 dunums are classified as area B
- 9826 dunums are classified as area C
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
