Violation: Sabotaging and cutting down 223 olive trees
Date: April 25, 2014
Location: Huwara
Perpetrators: Yitzhar colonists
Victims: Seven families from Huwara
Details:
On April25, 2014, the town of Huwara witnessed a new assault by Yitzhar colonists. At night of that day, the colonists raided the area of Hawd el-Lihf, that is located east of Huwara town and nearby the confiscated lands by Yitzhar. Noteworthy, residents of the town are denied access to the lands confiscated by the Yitzhar colony except during the olive harvesting season.
It is notable that colonists took advantage of the fact that framers were not present at the area and cut off more than 223 fruitful olive trees in al-Lihf area.
Photos 1-3: the damaged trees
The damaged trees belong to seven families from Huwara; who depend on agriculture as their source of living.
Victim |
Family |
Minors |
Area of the land |
No. of affected trees |
Notes |
Nayif Oudeh |
7 |
2 |
3 |
30 |
Partial damage |
Ahmad Oudeh |
5 |
2 |
1 |
25 |
Partial damage |
Mahmoud Oudeh |
8 |
4 |
1.5 |
28 |
Partial damage |
Fatima Oudeh |
1 |
0 |
2 |
15 |
Partial damage |
Dawoud Oudeh |
6 |
1 |
3 |
45 |
Partial damage |
Awad Oudeh |
6 |
3 |
2.5 |
30 |
Partial damage |
Murad Oudeh |
9 |
4 |
3 |
20 |
Partial damage |
The mosque land |
|
|
4 |
30 |
Partial damage |
Total |
42 |
16 |
20 |
223 |
|
*Source: Field Research- Monitoring Israeli Violations Team- Land Research Centre (LRC).
It is marked that the area of al-Lihf has been witnessing, every now and then, various assaults on farmers such like looting olive harvest and cutting and burning crops. Noteworthy, colonists attempted many times at setting up caravans in the area but the residents stood up for them and stopped them as a matter of fact. Usually, harassments and assaults are undertaken by the colonists of Yitzhar and Bracha; that are located in the nearby.
About Yitzhar:
The colony of Yitzhar was built in 1983 on the lands of Burin and Qibliya lands, southwest Nablus. It was built as an outpost but soon expanded by confiscating 10 dunums from the villages of Burin, Qibliya, 'Urif, Madama, and Huwara. The built-up area of the colony is estimated to be 158 dunums while the area of the confiscated land is 1800 dunums. Yitzhar was founded on the shrine of a great Muslim leader called Salman the Persian (Salman al- Farsi), after whom the mountain surrounding the area is named.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC