• Violation: seizure of Palestinian lands.
• Location:  Bardala town, northern Jordan valley area.
• Date:  November 05, 2018
• Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation civil administration.
• Victims: 5 families in the town.

Description:

On November 05, 2018, the Israeli Occupation Authorities issued four eviction orders for plots (260 olive trees). The order entitled immediate eviction orders, claimed that they were acquired illegally and demanded evacuating the plots within 45 days and warned those who do not comply of persecution.

The targeted lands are in the eastern and western parts close to the town’s built up area.

 

Derar Sawafta from Bardala rural council told LRC observer:

“The Israeli occupation orders of evicting plots close to the town’s built up area reveals that even the town’s houses are now targeted by the occupation’s racist plans”

Affected farmer Ezzat Ar-Rashaydeh told LRC observer:

“12 years ago I plated my plot with 40 olive trees to protect my land, now after these years, the occupation orders me to uproot my trees and evict my land, this is the worst types of discrimination.”

Mo’utaz Bsharat from Tubas governorate told LRC observer:

“There is an Israeli scheme to halt agricultural activities in the Jordan valley area, recently the Israeli occupation authorities issued an order to evict many agricultural lands claiming they are archeological sites, and prohibited farmers from constructing a water cistern on “Om AlJamal and Ein Al Hilweh” areas, and now they issued an order to uproot 260 trees claiming they are an “Israeli state’s property”, this reveals their plans to evict the whole area and take over it for colonial activities.”

Affected farmer	Number of family members	Children under 18	The targeted land (dunum)	Damaged trees	Trees ages	Military order	photo
Ezzat Ar-Rashaydeh	11	5	1.5	40	12	392032	1+2
Amer Hmil	5	3	2	45	12	392043	3+4+5
Hassan Hmil	7	5	2	25	5	N/A	6+7
Omar Sawafta	6	3	2.5	70	8	392042	8+9+10
Mahmoud Sawafta	8	4	2.5	80	8
total	37	20	10.5	260

 

About Bardala[1] :

 

The village is situated 25 km to the north of Tubas. It is surrounded by the Green Line (north), Raba (west), Ain al Baeda (east) and Tubas (south).

It has a population of 2112 people according to a 2014 census. It’s total area is 18329 dunum, 404 of which is built-up area.

The Israeli occupation devoured 252 dunums of its land to open the  bypasses road #’90. It also confiscated 819 dunums to build the Separation Wall(8197 in length)  and isolated 2100 dunums of Bardala land as a result.

According to Oslo Accords, 90% of the village is area C, i.e. under Israeli authority while only 5% is area B.

• Area B (910 dunum)
• Area C (16845 dunum)

Legal Feedback:

• The constringing policy  by the Israeli occupation authorities   of confiscating Palestinian is a violation of all  international conventions  and agreements like:

1. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

• “Article 2. 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.”

2. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

• Article 17: ” (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
• (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”