- Violation: banning the opening and rehabilitation of a road
- Location: southern suburbs of Nablus city
- Perpetrators: so-called Israel Civil Administration and colonists
- Victims: residents of the suburbs
Details:
Agricultural roads opened through local and agricultural organizations in the Palestinian suburbs are seen as pillars to support the resilience and steadfastness of Palestinian farmers on the lands targeted by the Israeli occupation, which works day and night to take over as much area as possible to be used for colonial expansion plans.
It should be marked that the Settlements Council initiated a vicious campaign against all developmental agricultural projects in the Palestinian suburbs. The plan aims at taking down the will of Palestinian farmers to push them away from the land. Moreover, colonists never stopped turning vast areas of agricultural lands into "security areas". Such methods is used to control and seize lands from Palestinians.
Noteworthy, Israel Civil Administration and Israel Lands Authority are seen active in banning farmers from opening and rehabilitating agricultural roads; more specifically in the eastern areas of Palestinian suburbs, where Israel refer to the so-called " Nature Preservation Law".
The occupation bans developmental projects on the claims that the target suburbs are classified as closed military areas or "C" areas according to Oslo Accords. And that any project must have a prior approval from the Planning and Construction Committee of Israel, which never grants permits for such projects.
Banning the opening and rehabilitation of agricultural roads is an Israeli method to leave agricultural lands un-used and hard-to access so that colonists can take them over for expansion ends.
Confiscation of agricultural machineries:
In the context of the aforementioned, the Israeli Occupation Forces, in coordination with the so-called Israel Nature Authority, confiscated a JCB dozer on September 01, 2016 at time of opening a three kilometers road in the northeastern side of Beit Dajan village, north Nablus city.
The targeted road was being implemented by Land Research Center with funds from the Dutch Representative Office in Palestine within a project to improve the livelihood of Palestinians.
About the incident, Eng. Raslan Shanableh from Land Research Center said the following:
" Since we started the opening of the road that is supposed to serve 60 families, we noticed some suspicious activity from colonists in the periphery of work, taking into consideration that the work location is nearby Jad'on outpost that is relative to Itamar colony. Shortly after, we were surprised by Israeli Occupation Forces raiding the area and confiscating the dozer used to open the road. The vehicle was taken to a military camp on the claim of working in area C and damaging bio-diversity "
He also added:
"Last year, Israeli Occupation Forces served a stop-work order on a project to open a road in Azmut village in Nablus. The road was supposed to serve tens of agricultural dunums. Noteworthy, the contractor and the project engineer were detained where the dozer was confiscated".
On September 14, 2016, the so-called Israel Civil Administration issued a military order to stop-work on "Al-Masayef" road that was planned to serve hundreds of agricultural dunums.
The order no. 203710 mentioned that road was being implemented without obtaining a proper license. October 06, 2016 was assigned as the hearing session of the Inspection Sub-Committee in the Israeli court of Beit El colony to consider whether to demolish the road or restore its previous status.
Photos 1-3: the target road of Beit Dajan village
Photo 4: the order that targeted the road
Photo 5: an aerial image illustrating the target location
Ravaging agricultural roads:
Israeli Occupation Forces ravaged on August 2016 an agricultural road in Qusra village, south Nablus city. Earth mounds were put in the road that was being implemented though Agricultural Work Committees with funds from the Dutch Representative Office in Palestine.
In same time, Israeli Occupation Forces also ravaged a road that was supposed to serve hundreds of dunums in Qusra village. The road was being implemented through International Relief Organization.
Stop-Work order on agricultural road:
It should be marked that Israeli Occupation Forces during past July served a Stop-Work order on an agricultural road in the area of Khirbet Al-Taweel, east Aqraba town. This order came with another verbal order to stop-work on another road located between Aqraba and Majdal Bani Fadil villages.
