An Israel military order to declare 1148 dunums from Salfit as “State Property”

• Violation: declaring Palestinian lands as state property
• Location: Az-Zawiya, Azzun Atma and Kfar Qasim towns
• Date:  April 04, 2016
• Perpetrators: Israel Civil Administration
• Victims:  farmers of the villages

Details:

To begin with, Az-Zawiya town, west to Salfit governorate got thousands of dunums of its lands confiscated by the Israeli occupation apartheid wall. Not only, massive areas were also taken from the town for the favor of opening the bypass road number 5, which penetrated the town and cut it in halves.

According to the military orders issued by Israel Civil Administration- Guardian of Absentees' Property, the recent confiscation order dates back to November 25, 1990 and that the so called "The Blue Line Committee" finished on January 31, 2016 checking the borders of "State Property". The committee found out that the targeted lands are located within state property and the validity of confiscation on those lands is to be extended.

It should be marked that the order targeted 1148 dunums from the lands of Az-Zawiya, Azzun Atma and Kfar Qasim towns. This confiscation taking place in area classified "C" according to Oslo Accords comes to serve the vital and security interests of the Israeli occupation and colonial plans as well.

The mayor of Az-Zawiya municipality, Na'im Shuqair, told Land Research Center the following:

" This plan will eliminate any chance to expand the built-up area and demographic expansion of the town. The targeted lands by the order are planted with olive and are considered a source of income for tens of agricultural families"

According to the department of geographical information system GIS – LRC, the area of confiscated land as mentioned in the first order totaled 760 dunums. The order claimed the confiscated area as State Property; it annexed 57 dunums and extended the validity of a confiscation order on 703 dunums, totaling 760 dunums. Noteworthy, the order excluded 207 dumums, the destiny of which are still unknown.

Photos 1-5: the military order of confiscation on Azzun, Az-Zawiya and Kfar Qasim towns

Photo 6: An aerial photo illustrating the targeted lands

Photos 7-12 : the targeted lands by the order

It is reported that the occupation said that the targeted lands are relative to Siniya village but as a matter of fact they are relative to  the Qalqiliya town of Azzun Atma.

The following table shows information about the declared and excluded areas according to the attached maps to the order:

The following table shows information about the declared and excluded areas according to the attached maps to another  order served on the same area:

Comparing the above tables, in light of Azzun Atma area, an area of 34.5 dunums is noted to be excluded. The destiny of such area is still unknown.

Photos 13-17: the military order targeting Az-Zawiya lands

Photo 18: an aerial photo illustrating the targeted lands according to the order

About Az Zawiya:

Located 17 kilometer west of Salfit and adjacent to the Green Line, Az Zawiya has a population of 4754 people according to statistics conducted in 2007. (81%) of the population depends on agriculture and sheep grazing while the rest work in governmental jobs or private sector projects. Az Zawiya has a total area of 12,000 dunums, 693 of which are a built-up area of the town. Most agricultural lands in Az Zawiya are planted with olive, figs, and cactus. The Israeli occupation confiscated 1747 dunums of Az Zawiya lands for colonies and the Apartheid Wall as the following:

• Two colonies are built on Az Zawiya lands. The first is Mazor Atiqa which was built in 1986 and confiscated 573 dunums. The other is Elkana which was built in 1977 and confiscated 57 dunums. Elkana is inhabited by 3050 colonists.
• Bypass road number 5 and it devoured 520 dunums of Az Zawiya lands
• The Apartheid Wall which destroyed 579 and isolated 4228 dunums

International laws and covenants pertaining lands confiscation:

1. Article on of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.
2. Article 17 of the (1948) Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating: “Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC