- Violation: sabotaging olive trees.
- Location: ‘Isla / East Qalailya.
- Date: 23/04/2019.
- Perpetrators: Settlers of “Alfei Menashe”.
- Victims: Farmer Mershed Suliman.
Description:
In the morning of 23rd April 2019, Farmer Mershed Suliman (64) headed to his land behind the apartheid wall, and was shocked to find out that Israeli settlers sabotaged his olive trees, Suliman have been raising these olive trees as if they were his children since 25 years.
Suliman told LRC reporter:
“ I own 13 dunums of land in natural block 2 of Azzun lands , my property was blocked behind the apartheid wall that surrounds “Alfei Menashe” settlement, there is only one gate guarded by Israeli troops and we are only allowed to visit our lands twice a year, during cultivation season and olive harvesting season.
When I finally got a permission to access my land in 23 April, I was shocked that the fanatic settlers sabotaged 19 olive trees aging 25 years old”
Noteworthy, Alfei Menashe settlers carried out several assaults on the eastern suburbs of Qalqilya , the occupation troops provide protection for settlers while they carry out their attacks against Palestinians and their properties.
Photos 1-4: The targeted trees
About Alfei Menashe colony:
The colony started in the 1980s after the Israeli Occupation Forces confiscated some agricultural areas from Nabi Elyas and Ras Atyyeh villages to turn them into military base. The base later developed to accommodate more colonists and caravans. In 1986, colonial activity escalated to the level of opening new roads and developing the infrastructure, devouring more dunums from the area for the sake of the colony’s expansion .
After the establishment of the apartheid wall in 2002, colonists took advantage of it to confiscate more lands and expand their colony on.
‘Isla:[1]
Located 10 meters north to ‘Azzun, ‘Isla has a population of 1,111 according to statistics conducted in 2017.
It has a total area of 2886, 83 of which are built-up area of the town. The Apartheid Wall confiscated 1683 dunums of the village lands. Alfei Menashe colony was built in 1981 and confiscated 113 dunums of ‘Isla lands.
It is worth mentioning that most of ‘Isla lands are under Area C (where Israel maintains full civil and security control) with no lands under Area A (where P.A. has full civil and security control).
According to Oslo, ‘Isla is categorized into:
- 220 dunums are under Area B
- 2666 dunums are under Area C
[1] GIS-LRC
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
