• Violation: land grab order
• Location:  Ramallah villages
• Date of order: June 13, 2017
• Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation Forces
• Victims: farmers of the villages

Details:

 The Israeli occupation government issued the military order number (06/88/T) that stated the extension of a land grab order's validity. The order targets 321.3 dunums from the lands of Beituniya city and Ein Arik and Biet Ur Al-Fuqa villages in Ramallah governorate; it intends to create a buffer zone  along the bypass road number 443 that penetrates the area and isolates the western villages of Ramallah from each other.

It should be noted that the order was issued in June 2016 but the affected people only knew about it in February 2017 when they found it thrown away in the targeted lands that are confiscated since 2006. Noteworthy, the validity of the order was extended until the end of 2019. The below table shows details of the land grab order:

City\village	No. of natural block	No. of parcels
Beit Ur Al-Fauqa	2	1-11 ،  18، 24،25،27،28،30،36، 34- 38.
	3	7،11،12،14،16- 19.
Beituniya	12	42،43،76
	13	19- 22، 24-26، 53،56-60، 82،86، 87
	33	12،5،8،10،14-17، 19
	35	73،77،78
Ein Arik	6	16- 19، 21، 23
	7	27- 31، 33،36
	8	38،40،41
	9	11، 13-15

 

It is reported that the aforementioned order came in time with the land grab order number (3/12/T), which targeted 275.5 dunums from Beituniya city, west Ramallah.  The order intends to create a buffer zone  along the bypass road number 443 that links Jerusalem city to Al-Ramlah city in the occupied territories.

It should also be noted that the targeted lands are confiscated since 2003 on the claim of "security purposes". Ever since that time, the order has been extended many time, the latest of which was until 2019.

 

Photos 1-2: the military order number(3/12/ت)

Photo 3: an aerial photo illustrating the targeted location

Photos 4-5: the checkpoints set up along the bypass road no. 443

 

The below table shows details of the land grab order:

No. of natural block	No. of parcels
1	1،15
12	93،94،96،98،99،101
17	212،215،218،219،233،235
18	68-70،74-76، 80-82،87،89،106،107،109
19	7،18،20،21،43،44، 46،47،65،66،94،95
32	60،61،77،79،81،83،85،90،92،97
34	35،44،45،49، 52-55،59.
35	11،26،117،121-124
36	0،114،120-121،122-124،129،130،132،88-91،94،116،117،103-108

 

Since 2000,the Israeli occupation has been imposing a closure on the 443. Palestinian are not allowed on the road under whatsoever reasons despite it runs through nine Palestinian villages and separates them from each other.

Photos 6-9: the military order number(06/88/ت)

Photo 10: aerial photo illustrating the targeted location

About Beituniya:

3km to the west of Ramallah, Beituniya is edged by Ein Kenya from the north, Ein Arik and Beit Ur from the west, Rafat from the east and Beit Duqo and Al-Jeeb from the south. With a total area of 21165 dunums, of which 3081 dunums are the city's built-up area, Beituniya accommodates 25482 people (2014). The Israeli occupation confiscated an area of 3385 dunums from the city detailed as follows:

1. Israeli colonies confiscated an area of 778 dunums as follows:

Colony	Year of establishment	Confiscated dunums	Population
Beit Horon	1977	222	822
Beit Horon B	1977	109	—
Givat Ze'ev	1982	447	10,790
Total		778	11,612

 

2. the bypass road number 443 confiscated 687 dunums form the city

3. the apartheid wall looted 1261 dunums for its route and isolated 12655 dunums behind its construction

4.  656 dunums are taken for an Israeli military camp

According to Oslo Accords, the lands of Beituniya are classified as follows:

• 3797 dunums are classified as area A
• 470 dunums are classified as area B
• 16897 dunums are classified as area C

Some International conventions and Humanitarian laws pertaining to attacks on land and natural resources are:

 Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

• Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
• No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights States:

"All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence."

 

 

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC