The Occupation Ratified Establishing A Reginal Council for Two colonies East Qalqilya

• Violation: Ratifying a new Reginal settlement council.
• Location: Southeast Qalqilya village.
• Date: May 22^nd 2022.
• Perpetrators: Settlements council in the West Bank.
• Victims: People of the area’s communities.

Description:

On May 2^nd 2022, The Israeli Occupation government ratified establishing a regional council for two colonies “Etz Efrayim” and “She’ari Tikva” which comes after the so-called Army Commander signed an order to unify the two colonies, and the Israeli interior minister Elit Shaked also blessed this step, the new settlement council will be named Samaria gate.

Noteworthy, Etz Efrayim colony was established on Senirya and Masha lands and controls vast areas of lands isolated behind the Annexation and Expansion Wall , same situation for Sheari Tekva colony which controls vast areas of Senirya and Beit Amin lands.

Mohammed Abu Ash-Shaikh the responsible on colonization file in Qalqilya governorate said:

“This step will mean the annexation of more agricultural lands to expand the colony and develop the infrastructure for the two colonies , which imposes more threats on Palestinian communities represented in establishing a colonial cluster that devour 12 thousand dunums of lands.”

Abu Ash-Shaikh pointed out that in the past two years, Israeli government imposed more restrictions on farmers who requested to reach their lands behind the annexation and expansion wall, and the occupation closed off a number of gates and prohibit them from using their land.

Etz Efrayim colony, a hazardous entity threatening the Palestinian lives and lands:

Etz Efrayim was established in 1985; its corner stone was placed over Sanniriya village lands. The colony has been expanding ever since. Its total area nowadays is 539 dunums of which 344 dunums are built over Mas-ha lands. It covers areas in ‘Azoun ‘Atma, Sanniriya, and Mas-ha villages.

It must be known that the colonists, like any other colonists in the West bank, never hesitated to steal Palestinian lands and take over Palestinian properties.

One of the biggest challenges the Palestinians are facing is the pumping of sewage water in their fields. The colonists took advantage of the segregation wall to pump sewage towards the olive fields, turning them into a defiled area.

Moreover, Etz Efrayim colonists plan to open a road that connects them to the nearby Oranit and Shaare Tikva  colonies. They plan to turn the area into a huge colonial compound administered by one body and with the sole objective of seizing more Palestinian lands.

Sha’aroe Btikva was first established in 1982 , it is continuously expanding and has a total area of 1500 , inhabited by 4000 colonists, the colony received large support from the government and expanded rapidly.