Written by Ahmad Jaradat, Alternative Information Center
http://alternativenews.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=540&Itemid=88
Hebron Region
On 3 August, the Israeli military issued new orders to confiscate 81 dunam on both sides of a new settlement road which was recently built to the west of the town of Dora, west of Hebron. The aim of the confiscation is to construct what the order termed “an isolated security-zone for the road of Nagahout settlement.” Majed Ihshesh, a resident of Dora, reported that the soldiers who had been stationed at the checkpoint at the entry to the settlement informed him and others about the new confiscation and presented him with the military. The Palestinian Land Defense Committees in the District stated that if the order is to be implemented, a further 300 of dunam will be isolated, becoming a de facto (if not de jure) part of the settlement.
On 10 August, 50 settlers from various parts of central Hebron held a celebration, with loud music, on the roof of the Ibaraheemi Mosque during the time of Muslim prayer there. The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee issued an alarmed statement maintaining that allowing the settlers access to the roof of the mosque is a aggressive action, which holds further danger when Muslims are in praying there, increasing the possibility of attacks against the residents taking place.
On 15 August, settlers from Kiryat Arba, in cooperation with the Israeli military, began construction work on Palestinian land, located in the Miras area to the west of the settlement. The work is in close proximity to to the main road named Prayers Road, and it appears that the military intends to establish monitoring towers to protect the road. Two weeks ago, the military issued an order to furnish the road with several watchtowers along the length of the road. During the work, more limitations have been imposed on the local Palestinian residents, preventing them from moving near the places where the construction is taking place.
On 17 August, the Israeli military authorities in the West Bank issued new orders to confiscate 1100 dunam in the villages of Bait Ommar, Hulhool and land to the west of ‘Arroub refugee camp. The aim of this order is to route a portion of bypass road 60 through this area. The land that was referred to in the order is specifically located in Braikot, Tala’, Wadi Shaikh and Wardah. The Mayor of Bait Ommar, Farhan ‘Alqam, reported that “We consider this last order as a real problem for the farmers, because many thousands of dunam will be actually confiscated as security zones for the road. This is what has happened in other places near this road, and it will separate the agricultural fields from the towns of Bait Ommar and Halhoul. […] Thousands of grape vines will uprooted, meaning that hundreds of families will lose their annual income.”
On 19 August, settlers from the outpost of Ramot Yashai in downtown Hebron renewed their attacks against the residents in the nearby Tel Rumeida neighborhood. The family of Mohammed Ahmed Abu Aisha said that a group of settlers attacked a number of Palestinian children in the morning, using stones and empty bottles, and causing an injury to the arm of 7-year-old Ibraheem Moammed Abu Aisha. The settlers also threw stones at some Palestinian homes in the area. The day before, settlers from the same outpost had threw stones at the same homes. Israeli soldiers stationed at the nearby checkpoint did nothing to stop the settlers’ attacks.
On 19 August, six settlers from the Sosya settlement to the south-east of Yatta threw stones at the home of Isma’eel Nawaj’a in the village of Sosay to the west of the settlement. Naser Nawaj’a stated, “When the settlers came to the houses we gathered together and faced them, later they left the place. The settlers used to do such acts against us to force us leave our land so they could continue expanding the settlement."
On 25 August, five settlers from Sosya settlement, with the cooperation of soldiers stationed nearby, attacked the Shunnaran family in Wadi Rakheem, south of Yatta. Israeli settlers and soldiers attacked and beat Hasan Husain Shunnaran, 30, and Ayman Mohammed Shunnaran, 16. The attack took place when the soldiers and settlers came to destroy a hut belonging to the family.
On 30 August, settlers from Sosya settlement cut down 23 olive trees, 500 meters to the west of the settlement. The trees belong to Mohammed Ahamd Nawaj’a, Mohammed ‘Oqab Nawaj’a and Mohammed Jaber Nawaj’a. While the group of settlers were busy cutting down the trees, tens of other settlers gathered and celebrated in the grove, dancing singing and shouting.
Nablus and the Northern West Bank
On 2 August, settlers from several settlements in the northern Jordan Valley continued their attacks against rural houses in some villages in the region. Residents from the village of ‘Ain Baida said that the settlers had, over recent days, burned wheat and straw used in feeding goats and cut down some trees belong to families from the village. The settlers also threw stones at houses during the evening.
On 2 August, the residents of Borkeen village, west of Salfit, called upon international human rights and health organizations, and all interested in environmental issues, to make an immediate intervention against the settlers from Ariel, who deposit their settlement’s sewage onto the villagers’ agricultural fields. The residents added that the sewage from the settlement also runs very close to the houses of the village. This has been causing some suffering over the last few months.
On 6 August, Husain Ali Mardawi, 48, was killed, and his son Amid, 19, was injured, when three settlers opened fire on the car the father and son were traveling in. Settlers driving a white jeep stopped in the middle of the main road near the village of Madama, to the south of Nablus, and forced Husain to stop his car. The settlers immediately opened fire on them, killing Husain. The event happened at 10 in the evening, when Husain was returning to his home in the village of Habla, near Qalqilia, after finishing his day’s work in Jericho. The place where he was shot is known as a generally quiet area (See Article on the website of AIC: Settlers Attacks: From Breadwinner to Body Bag—written by Ahmad Jaradat, Tuesday 8 August 2006).
On 14 August, soldiers prevented farmers from Tubas and Tammon from reaching their agricultural land, which is located near the Biq’oot settlement. The soldiers informed the farmers that this was now considered “a closed military zone,” but the farmers and other Palestinian sources said it was done to open the way for the confiscation of more land, in order to expand the settlement.
On 20 August, the settlers from Mickola settlement, 20 kilometers to the east of Tubas in the northern Jordan Valley, added several new mobile homes to the east of the settlement, on recently confiscated land. Mickola is an agricultural settlement, which, from time to time, confiscates and annexes additional agriculture land to it. At the same time, the local farmers are facing many restrictions due to the Israeli military proclamation issued six months ago, which states that the land now is designated a “closed military zone.” The military has also established many checkpoints on the roads that lead to the fields there.
On 22 August, settlers from Bracha and Itsehar settlements in the Nablus District led some pigs onto the agricultural fields belonging to the Palestinian villages of Boreen, Huwwara and Madama. Palestinian sources said that, recently, the settlers have been bringing dozens of pigs and letting them damage trees. The pigs have also attacked some domestic gardens in these villages and across Salfit district.
On 24 August, Borkeen (Salfit district) Municipality Member, Baha Awad, said that the Israeli industrial settlement of Barkan, located in the district, continued to burn factory waste from the settlement in the fields of the Palestinian residents, causing massive damage to the environment in the agriculture area, and toxic fumes detrimentally affecting the wellbeing of villagers. This has been an ongoing practice for some years now, despite frequent and vocal complaints to the Israeli authorities.
On 26 August, settlers from Itamar, near the village of Beit Furiq, opened fire on some children from the village in the afternoon, causing injury to the back of 12-year-old Hakeem Arsan Hanani. He was injured while he was playing with other children to the west of the village. Hakeem was taken to hospital in Nablus.
Bethlehem Region
On 10 August, Israeli bulldozers started building a new settlement road in Wadi Ahmad and the village of Natoof Walaja, to the west of Beit Jala. According to, Adel Atrash, a member of the municipal council of the Walaja village, 20 dunam will be confiscated for the road and more than 550 dunam will be isolated by the same road. The length of the road in this area is 1100 meters, and the width is 50 meters. Most of the land was originally covered with olive groves. The municipality of Walaja issued a statement maintaining that this new aggression is added to tens of violations that the village has faced, such as the demolition of houses (65 houses were demolished since 1985, six of them this year). This is in addition to the building of the Segregation Wall, which will completely isolate the village. Last week, two buildings were demolished because they were in the way of the Wall’s path.