- Violation: destruction of a reservoir and threatening a house with demolition.
- Location: Frush Beit Dajan village / Nablus governorate.
- Violation date: 12-17/11/2020
- Perpetrator: the so-called Israeli Civil Administration.
- Victims of violation: Tawfiq Al-Hajj Muhammad and QadriBisharat.
Violation details:
The Israeli occupation authorities escalated the attacks against the land and people in the Palestinian Jordan Valley. At noon hours on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, the occupation army, accompanied by the so-called construction inspector of the Israeli Civil Administration, stormed the “Bab al-Dika” area, located on the southern side of the village of FrushBeitDajan in the Central Jordan Valley, where they proceeded with a “Komatsu” bulldozer in demolishing an agricultural metal reservoir with a capacity of (300 m3) that was used to provide irrigation water to about 13 greenhouses planted with vegetables, built on 10 dunums, owned by farmer TawfiqAbd al-Rahim al-Hajj Muhammad, a citizen of the village of FrushBeitDajan.
It is noteworthy that the reservoir was established in 2004 within the water harvest project implemented by the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees, funded by the European Union, for the benefit of the affected citizen and the breadwinner of a family of (9) individuals, including (3) children.
In his testimony to LRC field researcher the brother of the victim, Mr. Khalusi Al-Hajj Muhammad said the following:
“The availability of reservoir is crucial in providing irrigation water in light of the scarcity of water resources and its complete control by the Israeli occupation. Residents are forced to buy water through mobile tanks with a capacity of nine cubic meters at a price of about 100 shekels per tank. This is financially costly and burdensome for farmers in light of the difficulty of marketing and diseases that kill plantswhich negatively affects the agricultural sector as a whole”.
The owner of the destroyed reservoir was notified by the so-called building inspector of the Israeli Civil Administration on 4/3/2020, and the military notification bears number (301003). Upon receiving the notification the affected farmer headed to the FurushBeitDajan Village Council, which in turn instructed him to prepare the necessary documents to file a case to freeze the destruction notification. The village council of FrushBeitDajan had previously participated in all the workshops of the project to protect the Palestinian right to land and adequate housing held by LRC, during which a legal aid unit was established in the village council with funding from the European Union.
Picture 1: Destruction notification No. 301003
Photo 2: The targeted reservoir before destruction
Photos 3-4: After destruction
A summons request:
In the same context, on Thursday,11/12/2020, the inspector of the construction and organization department of the Israeli “Civil” Administration handed over Mr. Qadri Ahmed HamedBisharat, 32 years old, from the village of Frosh BeitDajan, a summons request to attend a session of the so-called Sub-Committee for Inspection, to be held at Beit El colony on 30/11/2020 . The targeted house is 80 square meters, built of bricks and roofed with zinco. It shelters Mr. Qadri’s family of 7 members, including 3 children, and is located 20 meters away from the previously mentioned destroyed reservoir.
Photos 5: The threatened Bisharat family residence
Photo 6: Summons request
Pictures 7: Notification for work stoppage me
The affected citizen gave the following testimony to LRC field researcher:
“I have been living in the FurushBeitDajan area since I was born, and the targeted house is originally built of mud and stones and it is very old. About a year ago, the house collapsed as a result of heavy rain, and I got it rebuilt out of bricks and zinco. On the fourth of March, 2020, I received a notice to stop construction issued by the occupation authorities, and bears the number of 301002. According to this notification, I was summoned to a hearing session held by the so-called construction and organization department at “Beit El” colony, during which my application for license was rejected under the pretext of security, although all documents necessary for licensing were presented by me at that session. I am determined to reside here despite all the challenges, as the land is mine and no one has the right to evict me.”
A glimpse onFrushBeitDajan village:
It is located 25 km from the eastern side of Nablus, and it is bordered to the north by EinShibli and Tamoun, to the west by BeitDajan and Aqrabaniya, to the east by Tammun, and to the south by Jiftlik. Its population is 723 people according to 2017 census. Its total area is 20,082 dunums, of which 225 dunumsare built-up area. Until now, 2,494 dunams of its lands were confiscated by the Israeli occupation as followed:
- 1,320 dunums were seized in 1971 to establish Hamra colony, which is inhabited by 188 sellers;
- 703 dunums were captured to build colonial bypass roads No. 57, 508 and 578;
- 471 dunums were seized for the use of Israeli military camps.
The Land Research Center
LRC
