• Violation: expanding a colony Palestinian lands
• Location:  Jalud village- Nablus governorate
• Date:  May 15, 2016
• Perpetrators: colonists of Shevut Rahel
• Victims:  farmers of the village

Details:

Israeli Occupation Forces work day and night to continue the ravaging and leveling works in the western side of Shevut Rahel colony in order to have it expanded at the expense of Jalud village lands; more specifically the natural block number 13.

It should be marked that the expansion works are taking place on lands confiscated in 2000, which was later annexed to the periphery of Shevut Rahel. Today, more than 18 dunums are being ravaged in preparation to new constructions.

At the beginning of 2014, Israel's Higher Council for Planning deposited a master plan for the colony of Shevut Rahel. The plan declared the recently confiscated lands as a colony periphery to expand construction on it.

Not only,  the occupation opened new roads to link the colony with the nearby colonies of Shilo Adi Ad, and Eli in order to create a regional council of a group of colonies that will cut off any geographic connection between Palestinian villages and cities in the future.

 

Photos 1-2:  the expansion works on Shevut Rahel

 

About Jalud:

25km southeast of Nablus, Jalud has a total area of 16,517 dunums, 80.5 of which are the village's built-up area. The Israeli occupation confiscated 1207 dunums of Jalud lands for the sake of colonies' expansions. The village total population reached up to 464 people until 2007.(Source: Jalud village council).

The “ghost” of colonization haunts Jalud:

Most of Jalud’s lands ,from the northern, eastern and southern sides, became surrounded by six colonies and outposts namely (Shevut, Rahel, Shilo, Adi Ad, Kodish, Kida, and Ahya). The aforementioned colonies confiscated 1200 dunums for the favor of colonial activities and declared 90% (10000 dunums) of the village’s lands as closed military zones to protect and secure colonists in that area.  This isolated the village and surrounded it with colonies; Jalud’s school is considered the separating point between the village and the colonies around. As a result, the lands of Jalud became unused where the lives of the village’s residents are now threatened.

Land Research Center sees Israel continuous expansion on colonies in the West Bank and Jerusalem at the expense of Palestinians and lands a flagrant violation of Human Rights and all international laws and conventions, which prohibit disposition of public properties in occupied countries.

UN Resolutions

UN Security Council Resolution 242 of 1967: calls for

• the Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;
• Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial 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." [4]

UN Security Council Resolution 449 of 1979: the Security Council determined:

• "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"

UN Security Council Resolution 452 of 1979: states that

• "the policy of Israel in establishing settlements in the occupied Arab territories has no legal validity and constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949"  and "calls upon the Government and people of Israel to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem."

UN Security Council Resolution 465 of 1980:

• It expressed concern at Israeli settlement policy in the Arab territories and recalled resolutions 237 (1967), 252 (1968), 267 (1969), 271(1969) and 298 (1971). It further called upon the State and people of Israel to dismantle such settlements. The resolution calls on all states ‘not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connection with settlements in the occupied territories’.

 

 

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC