Two Agricultural Rooms Demolished in Al-Khader town / Bethlehem Governorate

• Violation: Demolishing two agricultural rooms.
• Location: Al-Bireh block- Al-Khader town/ Bethlehem Governorate.
• Date: January 15^th 2021.
• Perpetrator: The Israeli Occupation Civil Administration.
• Victims: Families of Mohammed Sbaih and Rabe’a Ghnaim.

Description:

Friday , January 15^th 2021 , the Israeli Occupation Forces raided Umm Ar-Rukba area and demolished an agricultural room belong to citizen Mohammed Sbaih , and another one belong to citizen Rabe’a Ghnaim from Al-Bireh block on the pretext of building without a license.

Citizen Mohammed Sbaih told LRC reporter:

“The Israeli Occupation bulldozers demolished the agricultural services room for the third time on the pretext of building without a license, noting that the targeted room is built on a 2 dunums plot , and the occupation is prohibiting any sort of Palestinian constructions at the area , I don’t care what the bulldozers do , I will rebuild the room . I spend most of my time at the plot with my family to breath fresh air and work at my farm.”

The Occupation bulldozed the plot nearby the room, and uprooted 6 olive trees, almond trees, and seasonal crops.”

The Occupation is carrying mass ravaging works to expand bypass 60 , which threats agricultural structures nearby the ravaging sites . The expansion works nevertheless devoured vast areas of lands.

A while later, the Occupation bulldozers went to the other side of the street and demolished an agricultural room with a total area of 20 m² , built of tin boards.

Iyad ‘Issa from Al-Khader municipality told LRC:

“The Occupation is waging a vicious attack ton Al-Khader lands, through ravaging farmlands and issuing notices for houses and facilities , especially for the expansion of bypass 60 which already devoured vast areas of Al-Khader, we don’t know how far would they go to achieve their goals.”

The following table gives more information about the targeted families:

Photos 1-2: Demolishing a room belongs to Mohammed Sbaih

Photo 3: After demolishing a room belongs to Rabe’a Ghnaim

About Al-Khader village:[1]

Al-Khader village is located 4 km from the western side of Bethlehem, it is bordered by Beit Jala and Batir from the north, Hussan and Nahaleen villages from the west, Aldoha, Wadi Rahhal, Beit Jala villages from the east, and Wadi Al-Nees from the south. Its population is 11960 people in 2017. Its gross area is 8,279 donums; 184 of them are the construction area.

The Israeli colonies have despoils 29 donums from the village’s lands; two are colonies existed upon a part of the lands. The first one ” Efrat” was constructed in 1979 A.D; they have usurped 5.8 donums, and its population 7037 colonists. The second one ” Nafy Danial” eas constructed on 1982A.D; they have usurped 23 donums, and its population is 1073 colonists. A part of which is established upon the village’s lands.

The bypass roads number 60 and 375 also despoiled more than 487 donums. In addition to establishing the apartheid upon its lands which causes the demolishing of 280 donums and isolating of 5638 donums behind it. The length of this apartheid existing upon the village’s land is 2,805 meters.

The village’s lands are classified in accordance with Oslo concord into areas( A,B ,C). Area A composes 10% , Area B 6%, Area C is the greatest area and it is under the total occupation domination, and it composes 84% from the total area. The areas are clarified in donums as following:

Area A (808) donums.

AreaB (475) donums.

Area C(6,996) donums.

[1] GIS-LRC