Violation: huge expansions in Bruchen colony.
Location: north east Bruqin – Salfit Governorate.
Date: February, 2011.
Land confiscation and colonial expansions are ongoing in the West Bank, especially in Salfit. The Israeli Occupation is taking advantage of the political situation in the middle east and the financial crisis to cover its continuous violation of the International Laws and agreements. The Israelis are adding huge numbers of mobile houses while plowing hundreds of dunums of confiscated lands.
In addition, it is trying to connect the various colonies within the West Bank using different ways (by-pass roads or structures). It is trying to serve the colonial expansion by any means necessary while paying no attention to the various hazards to the environment and to the people of Palestine.
Bruchen colony, built over Bruqin lands, is described by the Palestinians as a cancerous cell; it is, currently, expanding rapidly by adding tens of mobile houses and the leveling of huge areas of agricultural lands to multiply the colony size and to put facts on the ground.
Picture 1-2: Bruchen expansions
Bruchen was established in 1999 as a colonial nucleus in the north eastern parts of Bruqin. After the beginning of the second Intifada (uprising) in 2000, the colony started a rapid and continuous expansion process. The colonies took advantage of the political situation and the fact that the Palestinians are being unable to reach and exploit there lands to implement their expansion schemes. The colonists added tens of mobile homes and took over hundreds of dunums while gaining the support of the various Israeli governments.
Bruchen name comes from Bruqin; the village which lost huge parts of its lands to the colony. The colony total area in 2009 had reached 480 dunums including 266 dunums of built-up area. Nevertheless, the colony has been expanding on daily basis while getting full support and protection from the Israeli Authorities. Moreover, the colonists were not satisfied; their brutal nature urged them to try to humiliate the Palestinians and deprive them from their right to life.
Recently, hundreds of attacks and aggressions against the Palestinians have been recorded especially during the olive picking season. Bruqin suffering from continuous land grabs: The village is facing vicious attack from the Israelis; more than 8000 dunums of the village lands were confiscated for colonial expansion purposes.
Table 1: land confiscations in Bruqin:
|
No.
|
Colony
|
Establishment date
|
Built-up area
|
Type
|
Built over
|
|
1
|
Barqan
|
1981
|
622.5
|
Industrial
|
Sarta, Bruqin, haris
|
|
2
|
Bruchen
|
1999
|
265.5
|
Residential, industrial
|
Bruqin, Haris
|
|
3
|
Ariel Gardens
|
1978
|
5226
|
Industrial
|
Bruqin
|
Bruqin – an Overview:
It is located 13 km to the west of Salfit city; it is one of the Palestinian villages that depend mostly on agriculture in its income. The village total area is 13273 dunums including 1336 dunums of built-up area inhabited by around 3500 people. 1200 dunums are planted with olives while 3000 dunums are used for herding purposes; the rest (8000 dunums) are under the nearby colonies control.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
