During military trainings: Israeli Occupation Forces destroy water tanks, demolish residential tents in Aqraba
- Violation: destruction of structures and tools
- Location: Lafjam area- Aqraba town
- Date: October 13, 2016
- Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation Forces
- Victims: three Palestinian families
Details:
In the evening of October 13, 2016, Israeli Occupation Forces used the area of Lafjam that is 6km to the east of Aqraba as firing zone, causing the destruction of water tanks, furniture and residential tents.
Photos 1-5: the properties and belongings of Lafjam residents after destruction
According to available data, residents of the area were not present in their houses at time of the shooting and that the training that took place at night occurred without any previous warning or notice. Noteworthy, inhabitants of the area were grazing their sheep in the nearby pastures.
Not only the occupation carelessly destroyed the structures but it also left some military leftovers between tents ,creating an imminent threat on Palestinians. The following table shows information about the affected and their properties:
|
Affected citizen |
Family |
Minors |
No. of affected structure |
Damage resulted due to the attack |
|
Mohammad Mayadmeh |
6 |
1 |
2 |
A 2m3 water tank was poked by bullets Destruction of a 60m2 residential barrack Destruction of furniture |
|
Thear Mayadmeh |
4 |
2 |
3 |
Destruction of three water tanks (1m3 each) |
|
Ghaleb Mayadmeh |
5 |
1 |
2 |
Destruction of water truck (2m3) Destruction of three feeders, water tank and a piece of furniture |
|
Total |
15 |
4 |
7 |
|
Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-2016
The area of Lafjam is inhabited by 500 farmers coming originally from Aqraba. The warmth of the area and abundance of agricultural lands have prompted farmers and shepherds to live in Lafjam. The latter is now threatened of being confiscated at any time.
It should be marked that Lafjam is of 30,000 dunum in area mostly pastoral and agricultural, of which 8,000 dumum is arid land. Around 15,000 dunum is used for irrigated and field crops plantation where 7,000 dunum is subject for colonial activities.
The following colonies are founded on the lands of Lafjam that are classified as area C:
- Jetit :It was established in 1973 and is inhabited by 191 colonists until 2005. The colony has a total area of 1720 dunum and is 37km away from the Green Line*.
- Maale Afraim : it was established in 1970 and is inhabited by 1423 colonists until 2005; the colony has a total area of 4778 dunum.
- Itmar colony extension: it was established in 1984 and is inhabited by 651 colonists until 2005. The colony possesses an area of 7189 dunum and is 28km away from the Green Line*.
*Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between the armies of Israel and those of its neighbors (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) after the1948 Arab–Israeli War).
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
