- Violation: Stealing olive harvest of 60 trees.
- Location : Yasouf village / North Salfit city.
- Date:10/11/2019.
- Perpetrators: Settlers of “Rahalim”
- Victims: Farmers Abdul Rahman Hussain and Ma’arouf Issa.
Description:
Sunday morning, November 10th , 2019 , a group of radical settlers from “Rahalim” settlement raided olive groves in “Al-Mahawir” area about one km away from the settlement, and carried on cutting and sabotaging 60 olive trees aging 100 years old, 52 trees were partially damaged after cutting its branches, and a total damage of 8 trees , the targeted trees belong to : Abdul Rahman Hussain and Ma’arouf Issa.
This attack is not the first of its type in this plot, in November 3, same settlers’ gang stole agricultural tools used in harvesting in the grove: 7 clothes (used under the trees while harvesting to collect olives), 2 ladders and electric motor that belong to Issam Abdullah who leased the grove from its owners.
Yasouf village council head Khalid Ibeya told LRC the following:
“Since the establishment of “Rahalim” settlement , we have been living in constant settlers’ threats , farmers have been suffering from harassments that aim to keep them away from their lands , in early July, settlers of Rahalim carried on cutting and sabotaging about 80 olive trees that belong to farmers Ahmad and Radi ‘Atyani. Despite the complaints filed to the Israeli police nothing was done to stop such attacks from occurring.”
About Rahalim:[1]
The colony started in 1990 as a confiscated land for the favor of building a military base in Yatma. In 2000, the Israeli occupation allowed colonists to install 19 caravans in the area.
Today, and after 12 years, Rahalim colony became one of the most confiscating colonies where it took over 450 dunums from the villages of Iskaka, Yasuf and Yatma( Geographical Information System –LRC). In addition, the occupation has been planning on establishing new outposts to found the so-called grater Rahalim.
Photo 1 : “Rahalim” illegal settlement
Yasuf: [2]
It is 16km south of Nablus. Yasuf is surrounded by Huwara and Jamma’in (north), Marda (west), Yatma (east), and Iskaka (south).
Yasuf is inhabited by 2093 people (according to 2017 census). It has a total area of 6037 dunums, 330 of which are built-up area of the village.
The Israeli occupation confiscated 814 dunums for these two colonies: Kfar Tapuah colony which was built on Yasuf lands in 1978. The colony is inhabited by 523 colonists and Rachelim- Shvut that was built in 1991 and devoured 10 dunums.
Besides, the bypass road number 508 confiscated more than 155 dunums of the village lands.
According to Oslo Accords, only 1427 dunums of Yasuf lands are under Area B (PA is in charge of civil matters with Israel responsible for security) while most of Yasuf is under Area C (Israel maintains full security and administrative control). About of 4609 dunums of Yasuf is in area C.
[1] GIS-LRC
[2] GIS-LRC
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