The Occupation Cancels Allocation of a Natural Reserve for Colonial Expansion in Qalqilya governorate

• Violation: Canceling Allocation of a Natural Reserve for Colonial Expansionist projects.
• Location: ‘Azzun , Kafr Thulth and ‘Asla in Qalqilyab governorate.
• Date: April – August 2020.
• Perpetrators: The Occupation Forces Amy Commander.
• Victims: The targeted towns and villages.

Description:

The Israeli Occupation Authorities perpetuate colonial expansionist projects in the Palestinian territories.

In April 21^st 2020, West Bank Army Commander Nedav Badan issued a military order to change allocation of lands , previously announced as forests during the British Mandate in 1927 , in order to use them for colonial expansionist projects related to Alfei Menashe colony , which is illegally built on ‘Azzun and ‘Asala lands.

Photos 1-3: Military Order for ‘Alfei Menashe colony

August 18^th 2020, the Occupation’s army commander issued a similar military order to cancel allocation of forests , for the sake of Ma’ale Shamron expansionist projects on Azzun and Kaft Thulth towns in Qalqilya.

Photos 4-6: Military order for Ma’ale Shamron colony

Land Research Center geographical information unit analyzed the military orders and found out the following:

• The two military orders changed allocation 420 dunums of lands , and turned them from forests to Construction areas.
• The area that surround Alfei Menashe colony is 407 dunums.
• The area that surround Ma’ale Shamron colony is 13 dunums.
• The targeted lands in the military orders are located to the south or southeast of the colonial outpost Tel Menashe , and to the south or southwest of Ma’ale Shamron colony.
• The Occupation authorities and colonization organizations uprooted trees in the forests and replaced them with high buildings before declaring the military order or changing land allocation, the Occupation authorities later changed land allocation in order to authorize their construction.

During the last three years, the occupation changed allocation of land , and cancelled British laws in many colonies such as “Ma’ale Shamron” and “Alfei Menashe” in Qalqilya governorate.

Maale Shomron: A threat to the Palestinian land and environment

The colony of Maale Shomron was established in 1980 on lands classified as “State Property”. In years, the colony expanded to confiscate tens of agricultural dunums from the villages of Azzun, Kfar Thulth and Kfar Laqif from Qalqiliya and the town of Deir Istiya from Salfit governorate.

In 2001, the Israeli occupation set up many military points and a security fence in the periphery of the colony. As a result, tens of agricultural dunums got destroyed where some lands became isolated behind the fence. Noteworthy, those lands became subject for colonial activities such like establishing public parks, gardens and governmental buildings.

Photos 8-7: Ma’ale Shamron colony

About Alfei Menashe colony:

The colony started in the 1980s after the Israeli Occupation Forces confiscated some agricultural areas from Nabi Elyas and Ras Atyyeh villages to turn them into military base. The base later developed to accommodate more colonists and caravans. In 1986, colonial activity escalated to the level of opening new roads and developing the infrastructure, devouring more dunums from the area for the sake of the colony’s expansion .

After the establishment of the apartheid wall in 2002, colonists took advantage of it to confiscate more lands and expand their colonies on them.

The Apartheid wall that surrounds the colony is 18,565 m long, 9,397 m are built of cement , and the rest are a steal siege.

The settlement is close to bypass 55 which leads to the occupied territories of 1948.