12 aug 2020

Israeli bulldozers today razed large tracts of Palestinian-owned land in Iskaka and Yasuf villages, located to the east of the West Bank city of Salfit, according to a local source.
Head of Iskaka Village Council Fawzi Lami said that Israeli forces escorted bulldozers to the eastern area of the village, known as Khallet Ghanayem, where the heavy machines leveled the land to make room for the expansion of the nearby colonial settlement outpost of Nofei Nehemia, built on land confiscated from the village.
Located some five kilometers to the east of Salfit city, Iskaka has a population of some 1,280 and occupies a total area of 5,476 dunams.
Under the Oslo Accords, an agreement made 25 years ago that was supposed to last just five years towards a self-governing country alongside Israel, the Palestinian Authority was given limited control over a pocket of land occupying 1,366 dunams, accounting for almost 25 percent of the village’s total area.
Israel maintains control over the remainder 4,110 dunams, classified as Area C, accounting for 75 percent.
Israel has seized at least 181 dunams of the village land for the establishment of Ariel colonial settlement, west of the village, in addition to more tracts of land from the south of the village to construct a settler-only road that connects Ariel and Rechelim colonial settlements.
The Nofei Nehemia outpost lies adjacent to the Rechalim colonial settlement, and is located within its boundaries. It together with the nearby colonial settlements of Rechalim, Kfar Taphuh, Eli, Shilo and Migdalim and 23 other Israeli outposts in the area form a bloc of settlements and outposts that act like a territorial contiguity between Ariel settlement bloc in the west and the Jordan Valley area in the east.
Such a bloc will cut off the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian communities surrounding them and eventually annex the land available to Palestinians to expand in the future.
Head of Iskaka Village Council Fawzi Lami said that Israeli forces escorted bulldozers to the eastern area of the village, known as Khallet Ghanayem, where the heavy machines leveled the land to make room for the expansion of the nearby colonial settlement outpost of Nofei Nehemia, built on land confiscated from the village.
Located some five kilometers to the east of Salfit city, Iskaka has a population of some 1,280 and occupies a total area of 5,476 dunams.
Under the Oslo Accords, an agreement made 25 years ago that was supposed to last just five years towards a self-governing country alongside Israel, the Palestinian Authority was given limited control over a pocket of land occupying 1,366 dunams, accounting for almost 25 percent of the village’s total area.
Israel maintains control over the remainder 4,110 dunams, classified as Area C, accounting for 75 percent.
Israel has seized at least 181 dunams of the village land for the establishment of Ariel colonial settlement, west of the village, in addition to more tracts of land from the south of the village to construct a settler-only road that connects Ariel and Rechelim colonial settlements.
The Nofei Nehemia outpost lies adjacent to the Rechalim colonial settlement, and is located within its boundaries. It together with the nearby colonial settlements of Rechalim, Kfar Taphuh, Eli, Shilo and Migdalim and 23 other Israeli outposts in the area form a bloc of settlements and outposts that act like a territorial contiguity between Ariel settlement bloc in the west and the Jordan Valley area in the east.
Such a bloc will cut off the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian communities surrounding them and eventually annex the land available to Palestinians to expand in the future.
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Israeli police today razed a plot of land and ordered a Palestinian to demolish his own house in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukaber, said local sources. video
They said that Israeli police and crews of the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem escorted a bulldozer into an area in the neighborhood, where they razed a plot of land. Meanwhile, Aziz Ellian embarked on tearing down a 100-meter-square extension to his house in the same neighborhood to avoid paying exorbitant costs if the Jerusalem municipality carries out the demolition itself. video He pointed out that despite attempting to obtain a building license, the Israeli municipality did not grant him the license and instead fined him with NIS 22,000 (some USD 6,500) for lacking the construction license. Wadi Hilweh Information Center, a Silwan-based media center, posted a |
video for the land razing as well as another showing Ellian demolishing the extension of his house using a small bulldozer.
This came as Israeli police demolished a wall under construction to the east of Qanaldiya, north of Jerusalem.
All the structures were demolished purportedly for lacking the rarely-granted construction licenses.
Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.
At the same time, the municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews with a goal to offset the demographic balance in favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.
Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.
They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel's separation wall.
According to a report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, the Israeli High Court could be liable for war crimes for their policies that led to the dispossession of Palestinians from their properties in Area C of the West Bank.
The report [pdf], Fake Justice, shows that the court’s support of Israeli planning policy is tantamount to support for dispossession and forcible transfer of Palestinians, a war crime under international law.
This came as Israeli police demolished a wall under construction to the east of Qanaldiya, north of Jerusalem.
All the structures were demolished purportedly for lacking the rarely-granted construction licenses.
Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.
At the same time, the municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews with a goal to offset the demographic balance in favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.
Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.
They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel's separation wall.
According to a report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, the Israeli High Court could be liable for war crimes for their policies that led to the dispossession of Palestinians from their properties in Area C of the West Bank.
The report [pdf], Fake Justice, shows that the court’s support of Israeli planning policy is tantamount to support for dispossession and forcible transfer of Palestinians, a war crime under international law.
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Israeli settlers fenced off large swaths of Palestinian-owned grazing land in the northern Jordan Valley, according to local sources.
Aref Daraghmeh, an activist, told WAFA that a group of settlers had been fencing off large tracts of pastures in al-Mzuqah and al-Suwaidya areas since last week and up until yesterday. Thousands of dunams of these pastures have been fenced off since the beginning of this year, with most of the area inaccessible to Palestinians as a result of being declared as “state land” and “natural reserves”. Under international law, driving residents of an occupied territory from their homes is considered forcible transfer of protected persons, which constitutes a war crime. But residents of Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley are no strangers to such disruptive Israeli policies. |
The valley, which is a fertile strip of land running west along the Jordan River, is home to about 65,000 Palestinians and makes up approximately 30% of the West Bank.
Since 1967, when the Israeli army occupied the West Bank, Israel has transferred at least 11,000 of its Jewish citizens to the Jordan Valley. Some of the settlements in which they live were built almost entirely on private Palestinian land.
The Israel military has also designated about 46 percent of the Jordan Valley as a closed military zone since the beginning of the occupation in June 1967, and has been utilizing the pretext of military drills to forcefully displace Palestinian families living there as part of a policy of ethnic cleansing and stifling Palestinian development in the area.
Approximately 6,200 Palestinians live in 38 communities in places earmarked for military use and have had to obtain permission from the Israeli authorities to enter and live in their communities.
In violation of international law, the Israeli military not only temporarily displaces the communities on a regular basis, but also confiscates their farmlands, demolishes their homes and infrastructure from time to time.
Besides undergoing temporary displacement, the Palestinian families living there face a myriad restrictions on access to resources and services.
Meanwhile, Israel exploits the resources of the area and generates profit by allocating generous tracts of land and water resources for the benefit of settlers.
Israeli politicians have made it clear on several occasions that the highly strategic Jordan Valley would remain under their control in any eventuality.
Since 1967, when the Israeli army occupied the West Bank, Israel has transferred at least 11,000 of its Jewish citizens to the Jordan Valley. Some of the settlements in which they live were built almost entirely on private Palestinian land.
The Israel military has also designated about 46 percent of the Jordan Valley as a closed military zone since the beginning of the occupation in June 1967, and has been utilizing the pretext of military drills to forcefully displace Palestinian families living there as part of a policy of ethnic cleansing and stifling Palestinian development in the area.
Approximately 6,200 Palestinians live in 38 communities in places earmarked for military use and have had to obtain permission from the Israeli authorities to enter and live in their communities.
In violation of international law, the Israeli military not only temporarily displaces the communities on a regular basis, but also confiscates their farmlands, demolishes their homes and infrastructure from time to time.
Besides undergoing temporary displacement, the Palestinian families living there face a myriad restrictions on access to resources and services.
Meanwhile, Israel exploits the resources of the area and generates profit by allocating generous tracts of land and water resources for the benefit of settlers.
Israeli politicians have made it clear on several occasions that the highly strategic Jordan Valley would remain under their control in any eventuality.
11 aug 2020

Israeli soldiers invaded, Tuesday, Palestinian olive orchards near Wad Rahhal village, south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, and uprooted more than 100 saplings.
Hasan Breijiyya, the head of the Bethlehem office of the Wall & Colonization Resistance Commission, has reported that the soldiers uprooted more than 100 olive saplings in a 2.5 Dunams orchard.
Breijiyya added that the orchard is owned by Amer Abu Zaghrit, and that the soldiers also demolished retaining walls surrounding his land.
The official also stated that, despite the Israeli allegation that the area is assigned as “archeological,” Israel is planning to annex 1200 Dunams from their Palestinian owners, to build a new illegal colony.
Hasan Breijiyya, the head of the Bethlehem office of the Wall & Colonization Resistance Commission, has reported that the soldiers uprooted more than 100 olive saplings in a 2.5 Dunams orchard.
Breijiyya added that the orchard is owned by Amer Abu Zaghrit, and that the soldiers also demolished retaining walls surrounding his land.
The official also stated that, despite the Israeli allegation that the area is assigned as “archeological,” Israel is planning to annex 1200 Dunams from their Palestinian owners, to build a new illegal colony.
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The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) on Tuesday morning demolished a three-story house belonging to the family of Tahhan in the Jerusalem district of Silwan and displaced its residents. video video
According to local sources, Israeli police forces escorting a municipal crew encircled the house and embarked on removing its furniture before demolishing it. video video Five families were living in that house, which was built 20 years ago. video video Last night, the IOA forced a Jerusalemite citizen called Ibrahim Sayba’ah to knock down his own house in the holy city to avoid paying exorbitant demolition expenses and fines to the Israeli municipality. |

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Tuesday destroyed a tent, confiscated other tents and construction equipment, and delivered a stop-work order against a crude home in Susya hamlet, south of Yatta town in al-Khalil province.
Local official Rateb al-Jabour said that the IOF stormed Susya hamlet and wreaked havoc on a tent belonging to Ahmed al-Nawa’ja before confiscating it.
The IOF also confiscated two tents and construction equipment belonging to another citizen in the hamlet and ordered him to halt the construction of a crude house.
Jabour accused the Israeli occupation authority of persecuting and harassing the local residents in Susya village and other areas in order to force them to leave their homes and expand a nearby illegal settlement.
On Monday, the IOF seized three water pumps used for agricultural purposes in Beit Ummar town, north of al-Khalil.
Local activist Mohamed Awad said that Israeli intelligence officers escorted by soldiers stormed al-Thagra area in the northern area of Beit Ummar town and confiscated three water pumps belonging to a local resident called Nabil Bargeeth.
The Israeli intelligence also ordered Bargeeth to go to the Gush Etzion interrogation center on Tuesday for questioning.
Local official Rateb al-Jabour said that the IOF stormed Susya hamlet and wreaked havoc on a tent belonging to Ahmed al-Nawa’ja before confiscating it.
The IOF also confiscated two tents and construction equipment belonging to another citizen in the hamlet and ordered him to halt the construction of a crude house.
Jabour accused the Israeli occupation authority of persecuting and harassing the local residents in Susya village and other areas in order to force them to leave their homes and expand a nearby illegal settlement.
On Monday, the IOF seized three water pumps used for agricultural purposes in Beit Ummar town, north of al-Khalil.
Local activist Mohamed Awad said that Israeli intelligence officers escorted by soldiers stormed al-Thagra area in the northern area of Beit Ummar town and confiscated three water pumps belonging to a local resident called Nabil Bargeeth.
The Israeli intelligence also ordered Bargeeth to go to the Gush Etzion interrogation center on Tuesday for questioning.
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