Violation: confiscating 189 dunums by turning them into ‘state property’.
Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Civil Administration, the so-called Guardian of the Absent Properties.
Date: July 1, 2011.
Victims: farmers of Qaryut.
Details:
The Israeli Occupation Authorities confiscated 189 dunums of Qaryut lands located south of Nablus by manipulating laws in an attempt to legitimate colonization.
Picture 1-2: the confiscation order
The Israeli Occupation Authorities took over lands located nearby Heuvil colony built over Qaryut lands; they used an old Ottoman land law of 1858 stating that ‘any land that have not been exploited for a period of ten years becomes automatically a state property’.
The expropriated lands are located in parcel ‘1’ of the village lands; the lands have been unreachable since 2001 due to the Israeli restrictions and because of its closeness to the colonies of Heuvil and Eli. Any Palestinian in the areas risks an attack or even detention.
The residents of Qaryut questioned the legitimacy of Heuvel in the Israeli Supreme Court. In 2007, the Court ruled in favor of the Palestinians and announced the colony as an illegal body that has to be dismantled. However, the Court decision was never implemented due to delays and objections from the Israeli Army and colonists. Nowadays, the lands were the colony is built has become state property, legitimizing the colony existence.
According to the order numbered (59-1967). Entitled ‘order regarding state property’, signed by Yusi Sihal, ‘state properties official’, and issued on July 1, 2011, 189 dunums of the village’s lands are transferred into state property while giving 45 days to object to the order in ‘Ufar military camp nearby Ramallah.
Qaryut:
It is located 20 km to the south east of Nablus city; a 4.5 km road connects the village to Nablus-Jerusalem road, the road has been closed by the Israeli Occupation Authorities since 2000. Its total area is about 8471 dunum, 366 dunums of residential areas. Around 2500 people live in the village.
The Israeli Occupation Authorities expropriated about 5000 dunums for the expansion of the following colonies:
Shilo: established in 1978; its share of Qaryut lands was about 779 dunums and the residential area of the settlement is about 1347.
Picture 3: Qaryut village
Picture 4: Shilo colony lying over Palestinian lands
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Eli: established in 1984. It is now only 150 meters away from the village residences.
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Rahel: established in 1991 in the south eastern part of the village nearby Shilo.
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In addition to the three major colonies; a number of colonial outpost exist in the area; these outposts bloomed after the beginning of the second Intifada in 2000; these include Heuvil, Adi Ad, and Yeshokdash.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
