Violation: shutting down roads
Location: Kfar Qaddum- Qalqiliya
Date: August 06, 2015
Perpetrators: the Israeli occupation army
Victims: residents of the village
Details:
The Israeli occupation authorities escalated harassment on Palestinian farmers by denying their basic rights. This came in time with massive lands takeover from the village of Kfar Qaddum, east Qalqiliya governorate for the sake of expanding the four Israeli colonies founded on confiscated lands from the area.
The Israeli occupation authorities on August 03, 2015 closed three agricultural roads (north, south, west of the village) that serve vast area from the threatened of confiscation lands. According to the field observation of Land Research Center, the closed roads are the following:
- The road of Jabal Mohammad: it is located to the northeastern side of the village; the road dates back 60 years and serves vast areas of olive groves and vineyards. This road connects the middle of the village to its north, serving around 400 dunums.
It should be marked that since the establishment of Har Heimid outpost in 1990s, the Israeli occupation has been harassing farmers of the village and denying them access to their lands, which are a primary source of income for these people. On the contrary, colonists were given the right to wander the area and use it the way they like. At the end, the road was closed via military dozers, which also destroyed three olive trees belonging to farmer Sa’id Ishteiwi.
Photos 1+2: the targeted road and the cut down trees
- Al-Shajara road: this road (2km) serves the 350 dunums of olive groves in the southwestern side of the village. The road was rehabilitated in 2013 with funds from Islamic ReliefFrance; the rehabilitation was implemented by Kfar Qaddum’s village council and the agricultural committee.
The road is reported to be 300m away from the aforementioned outpost; colonists never stopped harassing farmers and destroying their lands. Not only that, the road was closed by dirt mounds; four trees were ravaged during the operation.
Photo 3: the shut down Al-Shajara road
- Haraiq Abu Ali road: the area of Haraiq Abu Ali, west Kfar Qaddum is considered historical and agricultural for it accommodates tens of dunums planted with olives.
The road was closed by dirt mounds and its infrastructure was entirely destroyed so that farmers can never benefit from. The 1.8 km road used to serve 400 dunums of olive groves; it was rehabilitated by the agricultural committee of the village.
Photo 4: the shut down road of Haraiq Abu Ali
The occupation keeps the closure on the southern entrance of Kfar Qaddum:
Since 2000, the Israeli occupation keeps a closure on the southern entrance of the village that is adjacent to Kedumim colony. People of the village suffer from the double-distanced route they have to take now instead of the original one. This has negatively affected the commercial and social status of the village.
The closed roadentrance dates back to the Ottoman era and used to serve the whole area. It is reported that the road was closed to please the wish of Kedumim colonists. This is a considered a clear-cut violation of international laws and conventions.
About Kfar Qadum village:
It is located 25km to the east of Qalqiliya city and is of 20,000 dunums in area, of which 1,382 dunums are the village’s built-up area. More detailed, 2500 dunums of the village are considered pastoral and around 5000 dunums are subject for colonial interest; especially for the colony of Kedumim. The percentage of the agricultural lands in the area is 85% of arable land planted with olives.
About Kedumim:
The colony of Kedumim is located on the once-was Jordanian military camp in the southwestern part of the village. It was established in 1975 with a total land area of 1090 dunums and a population of 3290 colonists.
It should be mentioned that in 1982, the authorities of the occupation put hands on the nearby hills to establish the outpost of Kedumim 'Ailet on 533 confiscated dunums. The outpost is inhabited by around 300 colonists.
It should be also marked that by the beginning of 1990, Kedumim colonists looted a vast area of lands from Kfar Qaddum to establish the colony of Gilad Zohar. This colony totals around 753 dunums in area and populates 1053 colonists.
International conventions and laws regarding freedom of movement which Israel unabatedly violates:
- Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”.
- Article 5: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.
- Article 9: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”.
- Article 13: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
- Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation.”
- Article 9: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
