• Violations: expanding industrial settlement
• Location: Amatin  village- Qalqilya governorate
• Date: April 25, 2018
• Perpetrators: Israeli occupation army
• Victims: family of farmer Fawzy Ghanim

Description:

In the western hills from Amatin village, Farmern Fawzi Ghanim (72) is lamenting the land he spent his life working in , and fighting to protect from colonial expansion, and now devoured by the occupation to uproot the trees he have been taking care of for decades  on the purpose of  expanding Immanuel industrial zone.

It is reported that the industrial zone “Immanuel” is undergoing expansion works on a total area of 12 dunums in Farmer’s Fawzi land. Noteworthy, Farmer Fawzi managed to get the recognition of the Israeli Supreme Court that in his right of the targeted land.

Affected Farmer Fawzi Ghanem told LRC observer:

“ I own a 37 dunums land in Amatin village, and I possess the documents that prove my right of the land, but as it lies within Israeli colonial industrial zone “Immanuel” it caused me suffering for 20 years and until this day, but as I love this land I never gave up on it”

He added with an angry tone:” in 1994 settlers opened a road between my land and a factory in the mentioned industrial zone, I filed an objection , but they handed me a military order that says that parts of my land will be confiscated for “Security purposes”. Later on, I was a victim of successive assaults, in 2009 The Israeli occupation army uprooted 145 olive trees, in 2014 same perpetrators uprooted tens of plants I had just cultivated. I went to all legal institution I could reach, until I succeeded in summer 2015 and managed to get a decree from the Israeli supreme court that recognize my right in parts of my land, but the main Dilemma is that my land is close to the Israeli colonial industrial zone and the occupation army prohibit me from reaching it for what they call security purposes, but I was persistent to cultivate my land no matter what it may cause, In 2017 I cultivated the land with new plants, but unfortunately, settlers uprooted them in the same day, but still, I will never give up on my land”

Photos 1-5: “Immanuel” Industrial zone.

Photo 6: Ravaging Fawzi Ghaniem lands.

Mohammad Ar-Raie, Human-Rights observer in Al-Haq institution told LRC observer:

“Fawzi Ghanem is one of tens of farmers in Palestinians suburbs, most lands surrounding settlements are owned by Palestinian farmers, but the occupation obstruct Palestinian movement on the pretext of security, and most of the time prohibit them from cultivating their land, then gradually take over it to use for colonial expansion plans”

“Immanuel” industrial settlement reflects the cruel reality of the area, The zone contains 22 factories that contribute in polluting soil and water, the Industrial zone changed the environment of Wadi –Qana, The colonial zone was established in 1992 and consists chemical, Plastic, furniture and fabric factories of thatare highly supported by the Israeli government and get facilitations like low-taxes and marketing.

About Amatin Village[1]

The village of Amatin is located 20 km to the east of Qalqilya. It is edged by Qalqiliya city from the east, Kfar Qaddum from the north, Al-Funduq from the west , Fartaa and Jit from the north and Deir Istiya from the south.

It has a population of 2,388 until 2007. It has a total area of ​​7,346 dunums, of which 306 dunums are built-up area.

The Israeli occupation forces confiscated 311 dunums of the village’s lands as follows:

• 1 – Emmanuel  colony looted (160) dunums from the village lands
• 2 – The bypass road number 55 confiscated about 30 dunums from the lands
• 3 – The apartheid wall seized 121 dunms for its construction
• 4 – Classification of land according to the Oslo agreement for the village:
  • – Areas classified B are (3,940) dunms.
  • – Areas classified areas C are (3,406) dunums.

When completed, the wall in Amatin will be 4,582 meters and will confiscate and isolate  a total of 2,675 dunums.

Legal Feedback:

The constringing policy  by the Israeli occupation authorities   of confiscating Palestinian lands in order to  build illegal random outposts and settlements can only be regarded as a violation of all  international conventions  and agreements like:

The Geneva Fourth convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in the times of war:

Security council resolution 242 year 1967:   Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict; and  Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territoial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.

Security council resolution 446 year 1979:   Determines that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;

Security council resolution   452 year 1979: the resolution once again denounced Israel’s settlement activities  in territories occupied in 1976 including (East) Jerusalem, this activity constituting a violation of the Fourth Geneva convention, and called on Israel to cease planning and construction of settlements

Security council resolution 465 year 1980: calls to dismantle the existing settlements and in particular to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem; Calls upon all States not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion with settlements in the occupied territories;

Security council resolution 478 year 1980:  Censures in the strongest terms the enactment by Israel of the “basic law” on Jerusalem and the refusal to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions,Those States that have established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions from the Holy City.

Hague convention 1907 :

Article 46:  the occupying power must not confiscate Private property .

Article 55:  The occupying State shall be regarded only as administrator and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and agricultural estates belonging to the hostile State, and situated in the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of these properties, and administer them in accordance with the rules of usufruct.

Geneva forth convention 1949:

 Article 49: The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own population into the territories it occupies.

Article 55: Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited.

Article 174:  taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.

[1] GIS-LRC