"PEACE NOW" REPORT REVEALS: NEARLY 5000 HOUSING UNITS IN WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS
Full article, by the Israeli columnist Nadav Shragai, in the Hebrew daily Ha'aretz (http//www.haaretz.com), on December 27th, 1999.

THE DECEMBER 1999 DETAILED UPDATE ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Israeli Settlement Activity in the West Bank Districts since Ehud Barak's Government Came to Power

1) Ramallah District

1. Kyriat Sefer

In 1996, the Israelis confiscated nearly three thousand dunums of lands belonging to the villages of Kharbata, Deir Qadis, and Na'elin in order to establish a new settlement. The Israelis claim that this settlement is an extension of the existing settlement, even though this area is three times larger than the original land area of the settlement, which was established on lands belonging to Palestinian from the village of Deir Qadis. Work is currently being done to establish an urban settlement in this area to attract thousands of settlers to live in it, and bulldozing activities are currently underway to implement this project.

2. Har Adar

The Israelis confiscated 1500 hectares of land to establish a new settlement on lands belonging to citizens from the villages of Bidu, Beit Surik and Qatana. They began implementing this settlement project in October 1996, claiming that it constitutes an extension of the Har Adar settlement project. Work is still being currently done in that area to implement this project.

3. Talmon

The settlers proceeded to expand at the expense of neighboring lands belonging to citizens from the villages of Al-Janiya and Al-Mazra'a Al-Gharbiya. They constructed many roads in spite of the Israeli official recognition that these lands belong to Palestinian citizens. No Israeli decision was taken to confiscate these lands or transfer them to settlers. However, the settlers want a de facto recognition that this land is theirs, and this is done without the Israelis officially taken any procedures to prevent such attacks.

4. Shilo

Work is being conducted to expand the settlement at the expense of the villages of Turmus Ayya and Qaryut. The settlers control most of these lands, started the expansion process in October 1996, and are still expanding. Recently, the settlers set up 10 caravans in Bab Al-Kharja and Abu Al-Mawas. The Israeli authorities have only removed 6 caravans and this effortless work only legitimizes illegal actions.

5. Ma'ale Mikhmas

The settlers are trying to control 1000 dunums of land belonging to the citizens of the village of Deir Dibwan, even though the Israeli authorities recognize that this is private property. However, the settlers have closed the area with barbed wires, and have prevented the landowners from entering their lands. They have also constructed a road around the aforementioned land in an initial attempt for inclusion to the settlement. The settlers also added 7 mobile homes in the nearby hill.

6. Ofra

The settlers are completing expansion activities to the south of the settlement with the goal of establishing a new neighborhood. The targeted lands average nearly 400 hectares of land belonging to the village of Ein Yabrud.

 

2) Jenin District

1. The army has placed military checkpoints near Anin and Um Al-Rihan, on nearly 20,000 dunums of land. There is fear that the Israeli government intends to include it or confiscate it or closure it or take any decision preventing the citizens from working in it. The area includes the Um Rihan natural reserve, which is regarded as the richest natural reserve in the West Bank.

2. Toubas (Fard Karka)

The settlement was established at the expense of lands belonging to citizens, estimated at four dunums. Israeli authorities consider the Valley Area, with nearly 372,000 dunums of land, as a closed military area subject to military regulations. Consequently, access is not allowed except on specified days. 334,000 dunums have been confiscated in order to establish military camps and many settlements such as Ro'i and Beqa'ot". The settlers also plowed away hundreds of hectares, and placed dirt barricades to expand the settlements of "Beqa'ut and Ro'i".

3. Deir Abu Dha'if

In the beginning of September 1996, the Israelis, as an initial step, prevented the citizens from reaching their lands near the military camp and the settlement of Ganim, with over 100 dunums of land. At the beginning of this month, the Israelis attacked the Bedouins claiming that this was a closed military area.

4. Jalboun:

          The settlers seized a plot of land owned by a Palestinian citizen, representing nearly 135 dunums.

3) Abu Dis District

1. Ma'ale Edumim

        The settlers are completing expansion works in the south to establish the settlement of Qedar, and work is still in progress. Bulldozing activities are currently underway south of the settlement in order to establish the infrastructure, and preparations are being made to establish housing units. Announcement has been made of the building of a new settlement neighborhood to the west or in the area between Ma'ale Edumim and Al-Azzariya. Work is still in progress to expand the Ma'ale Edumim settlement from all directions, and the infrastructure in the eastern area is near completion. It is expected that these new settlements will absorb the same population and the same number of housing units as now exist in Ma'ale Edumim. Asked to decide on the matter, the Israeli Supreme Court responded that this was a political issue, that should be discussed at the negotiations table.

2. The Israeli authorities have announced that Master-Plan no.820 was in effect It stipulates the construction of a road linking between the settlements of Ma'ale Edumim and Qedar. This means the confiscation of thousands dunums of lands.

4) Salfit District

1. Ariel

     The settlers have started plowing the lands and uprooting olive trees in lands belonging to citizens from Salfit and Kufr Haris. They confiscated 200 dunums of land to the east and to the north. Work is in progress to expand the settlement.

2. Sha'ar Tiqva

       The settlers are continuously expanding and confiscating lands belonging to citizens to the north and south, and these lands belong to citizens from Masha and Beit Amin. The settlers have constructed a road between Kufr Qassem and Al-Ghor, which is more than 70 meters wide, and is known as the second Trans-Samarian.

3. Revava

     The settlers expanded the settlement at the expense of 37 dunums of lands belonging to Palestinian citizens.

4. Oranit

    The settlers periodically expand in all directions at the expense of lands belonging to the citizens of the villages of Azzoun and Masha.

5. Berakha

      The settlers seized lands belonging to citizens from the village of Burqin in order to expand the industrial area in the settlement. The settlers have plowed more than 55 dunums of agricultural land in order to establish a compound for stone crushing plants east of the "Green Line". These agricultural lands belong to citizens from the villages of Al-Zawiya and Deir Ballout.

6. Elkana

     The Israeli army has established a security belt at a distance of nearly 50 meters from the furthest home in the settlement, at the expense of lands belonging to the villages of Masha and Al-Zawiya.

7. The military commander has issued an order to confiscate, for military purposes, a plot of land belonging to Abdullah Khalil Mohammed from the village of Deir Ballout in order to strengthen the "Deir Ballout" checkpoint with a military checkpoint from the western side.

5) Qalqilya District

1. Tsoufim:

1. The expansion of this settlement represents an attack on the lands of the village of Jayyus and of the city of Qalqilya to the north of the aforementioned settlement. The settlers have plowed land belonging to Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah Salameh from Jayyus (land piece number 782 of parcel 3 with nearly 8 dunums of land located in Jorat Hamin). Parts of land plot number 783 were also plowed, located in Khilat Muqbel.
2. The settlers constructed a bypass road linking the Tsoufim settlement with the settlement of Tsour Yigal. Thousands of hectares of lands from Al-Jayyus and Qaliqilya, in an area known as Massah Al-Awal, were thus devoured.
3. The settlers constructed a road linking the aforementioned road with the stone grinding plant to the north of "Tsoufim" settlement.
4. An announcement was issued that 1362 hectares of land belonging to citizens from Al-Jayyus and Nabi Elias would be confiscated as state-owned lands. These lands belong to 79 citizens from Al-Jayyus, and the following plots of lands are being targeted: 643, 563, 812, 140, 120, 165, 755, 695, 585, 786, 788 and parcel no. 4. Even though the citizens went to court and were partially successful, the bulldozers have not halted for a minute in these lands and have engulfed a large part of it.

2. Ginat Shomron

1. The settlers have seized the land of citizen Mohammed Qadura Ali, which had been partially declared in 1979 as state-owned land.
2. The settlers have seized 2200 hectares of land belonging to citizen Awad Mahmoud Awad from Kufr Laqif, and threw rocks and piles of dirt on his land.

 

3. The settlers constructed a road between the settlements of Ginat Shomron and Qarnei Shomron, on land belonging to citizen Amin Awad. The targeted land is nearly 5 dunums.
4. On October 13th, 1999, lands were confiscated belonging to Kufr Laqif and Azzoun in order to become a security road for the settlements of Ginat Shomron and Qarnei Shomron, in accordance with a military order issued by what is known as the military command.

3. Qarnei Shomron

1. The Israelis declared that the land belonging to citizen Mahmoud Abdel Karim, from Jinsafout (piece no. 5 of lot 7 located in Khilat Al-Bala'a) was state-owned land, in spite of a decision issued by the court to hand over the land to its owner in 1996. The size of the targeted land is nearly 441 dunums.
2. The settlers have also constructed a road on the land of citizen Ahmed Ali Bashir from Jinsafout and parallel to the existing road with the distance between the two roads of only 10-12 meters.
3. One of the settlers, Moshe Zahour, claimed that he owned the land belonging to the citizen Farid Mohammed Abdel Rahman from Jinsafout. He made surveys of the land and placed markings on it as a prelude to annexing it to the settlement. The size of the targeted land is nearly 28.5 dunums.
4. The settlers' bulldozers uprooted olive trees from the land belonging to the citizen Ismail Abdel Rahim Qadour. They also placed a mobile home, and the settlers constructed a road beside it.
5. One of the settlers from Qarnei Shomron applied for registering a land he claimed to have bought it from Ahmed Abu Awad, from Jinsafout, estimated at nearly one dunum of land located in Khilat Al-Bala'a.

4. Alfei Menasheh

      The settlers surveyed nearly 1000 hectares of lands belonging to citizens of Azzoun and Nabi Elias. On October 13th, 1999, a military order was issued on 5300 dunums of land in order to construct a security road for the same settlement.

5. Sha'arei Tikqva

The settlers fenced 1500 hectares of lands belonging to Sanariyya, Azzoun Al-Atmeh, Masha and Beit Amin. Part of these lands, estimated at 80 dunums have been singled out for the benefit of the Sha'arei Tikqva settlement. Citizens are not allowed to enter freely their lands, and the citizens are asked to show their entry permits.

6. Tsameret

The settlers fenced land belonging to citizens in order to include it in the settlement, and prevent the citizens from reaching their lands.

7. Qedumim

1. The settlers of Kufr Qadum have constantly infringed on lands belonging to the citizens of Kufr Thulth, and they prevent citizens from entering and planting their lands. The targeted land is estimated at nearly 10 dunums.
2. The settlers included 4 dunums of land belonging to the citizen Jawad Abdel Karim Eid, and undertook to build on it in spite of the fact that the owner has obtained a court decision against such action.
3. The settlers included 2 hectares of land belonging to citizen Abdel Rahman Aqel, located at the entry of the settlement and planted it with trees. It is being used for the raising of poultry.
4. The settlers planted trees on a plot of land belonging to the citizen Fathi Hamed Ahmed Amer, located at the entrance of the Qedumim settlement. Expansion work is still in progress at the expense of Kufr Qadum lands, and the current settlement forms 3 housing clusters, with each one expanding individually.

8. Ma'alei Shomron

The Israeli side announced nearly 1500 hectares of Kufr Thulth lands as state-owned land, in spite of the many owners having court decisions confirming ownership of the land. However, the continued attacks of settlers on the peasants have impeded their entry to their lands. The settlers have begun bulldozing activities in this land, and no change has been reported.

9. The Oranit settlers have included land belonging to Ahmed Mahmoud Hussein Al-Sheikh, from Sanariyya, in their settlement.

10. The Israeli army commander has issued an order to seize land for military purpose in the village of Jayyus belonging to the family of Mohammed Saleh Nofal, and estimated at nearly 4200 square meters.

11. The settlers of Alfei Menasheh attacked the land belonging to the citizens Majid Adwan and Omar Qaqtis. They opened a 10-meter wide road passing through their lands.

12. The military commander issued a military order, effective for five years, to confiscate lands belonging to the villages of Kufr Laqif and Deir Istya, in order to construct a security road north of the Qarne Shomron and Ginat Shomron settlements. The targeted land is nearly 14 dunums. Moreover, the military leader issued an order to confiscate Palestinian lands in order to form a security belt for the Alfei Menasheh settlement.

6) Nablus District

1. Deir Al-Hateb

The settlers of "Alon Moreh" have prevented the citizens of Deir Al-Hateb from entering their lands. The settlers have fenced these lands, even though the lands are registered in the names of Palestinian citizens. The lands are nearly 200 hectares, and the citizens cannot enter them. This is a prelude to the settlers control of the land, and the citizens are still being prevented from entering their aforementioned lands.

2. Ainabous

The settlers have placed 12 caravans on the lands belonging to Palestinian citizens. Following protests, a number of caravans were evacuated and some were left in place. This situation has not changed, and the caravans form a settlement nucleus on Ainabous lands.

3. Khirbet Tana

The Israelis have attempted to use security justifications to control the lands located in Beit Furik, claiming it was a firing area. This knowing that the Supreme Court had issued a decision in 1987 that stipulated finding a solution allowing the citizens to use their lands. However, the army still prevents the citizens from entering those very lands.

4. Aliya

The settlers are working on establishing a new settlement northeast of the settlement on Qaryut lands. Settlers from Yeshivot Rahel have placed a number of caravans on lands belonging to the village of Qaryut in an area known as Wadi Al-Mukhasal and Wadi Ali. The settlement clusters have not been removed, and are supplied with all the necessary services.

5. The Israeli authorities issued military order no. 19/901 which stipulates the confiscation of lands to construct road number 60, at the bypass intersection of Silat Al-Thaher.

6. Israeli forces have uprooted tens of planted olive trees in the area of Jabel Al-Kabir, belonging to the villages of Beit Dajan and Salem in order to construct a bypass road linking the settlements of Itamar and Alon Moreh with the "Valley" area.
7. The Israeli authorities are delaying the return of a plot of land in Deir Al-Hateb to its owner, and fail to demolish the street the settlers have constructed.
8. The settlers attacked the land of the citizen Ahmed Abdel Fatah Falah Al-Khalifa from Burin, in order to construct a road leading to the new settlement point north of the "Berakha" settlement.
9. The settlers planted the land belonging to the citizen Musa Ali Ahmed from the village of the village of Qaryut, and fenced it.
10. The settlers introduced three mobile homes to the Itamar settlement.

7) Bethlehem District

1. Efrat

The settlers attacked the lands of citizens located in Al-Mutala and Wadi Abu Ghneim, which belong to the villages of Al-Khader and Wadi Rahal. The settlers want to establish new buildings for the settlement, claiming that the lands in question are state-owned lands. The settlers are also adding caravans on the nearby hill, on land known as Um Rukbeh.

2. The settlers have attacked lands belonging to Al-Juba'a, which is located to the northern side and known as Thaher Nassar, in order to control the land.
3. The settlers, on December 6th, 1999, bulldozed Rouwaisat lands located in the Ras Beit Jala area. The land in question belongs to the citizens of Al-Walja and Beit Jala. The purpose of this confiscation is to expand the Har Gilo settlement from the western side.

 

4. The settlers have continuously expanded the Beitar Illit settlement, and recently was announced the enlargement of the master plan for the Beitar settlement.
5. Daniel

Work is being done to expand the aforementioned settlement in addition to the Allon Shvout settlement. The settlers have entered lands located to the east of Al-Fradis, and erected tents on it.

6. The settlers have prevented the citizens from working on the lands near the Gush Etzion settlements, even though they held a permit issued by the Israeli Ministry of Defense allowing them to work on their lands. However, as a result of direct pressure from the settlers, the army disallowed the usage of this permit and arrested the citizens working in their lands.

8) Tulkarem District

1. Avnei Hefetz

1. The Israeli side has expanded the settlement of Avneh Hefetz, near the village of Sho'fah, north of Tulkarem. Nearly 125 dunums planted with olive trees were bulldozed. Work is being done to establish 14 new housing units on lands belonging to the citizen Abdel Aziz Drubi from the village of Sho'fah.
2. The settlers have established a new settlement nucleus in the eastern part of the settlement at the expense of Kufr Al-Libd lands belonging to the citizen Taher Hamdan.

2. The Factories Established on the Tulkarem Railroad Track

The Israeli authorities are expanding the area where Israeli factories are located, on land which belongs to the Islamic Waqf in Tulkarem (the land of the Hijazi railroad track station). The targeted land is estimated at 3 dunums, and these factories were established on 82 dunums of land. These factories have a great environmental impact on the citizens and population of Tulkarem.

3. Salit Settlement

The Israeli side announced a new structural project for the settlement resulting in the inclusion of 1500 hectares of nearby lands belonging to the villages of Kufr Sur, Al-Ras and Khirbet Jabara into the settlement, in order to expand it.

4. The Israeli army commander issued an order to requisition, for five years, under the guise of military purposes, a plot of land belonging to the village of Azzoun and estimated at nearly 503 dunums. The land in question belongs to the citizen Ibrahim Radwan.
5. The Israeli authorities intend to add 150 housing units to the Tshouva settlement, and the targeted land belongs to Palestinian citizens.

9) Hebron District

1. Sussia

1. The settlers planted the lands belonging to citizens from the Shrieteh family from Yatta, estimated at nearly 50 dunums.
2. The settlers prevented the citizens of Yatta from the Al-Nawaja family from entering their lands, and they were declared as closed areas. The targeted lands are estimated to be 500 dunums.
3. A settler named Jacob prevented the Awad family from entering a plot of land belonging to them.

2. Ma'on

The settlers planted nearly 50 hectares of land, belonging to citizens from the Al-Shawahin family. The areas to the east of Yatta were declared closed military areas, and the targeted areas are estimated to represent thousands of dunums of land.

3. Al-Asafir

The settlers have added 6 caravans and destroyed agricultural lands accompanied by an Israeli Inspection and Planning Officer, claiming that these lands are state-owned lands.

4. Battir

The settlers placed new caravans on lands belonging to citizens from the Al-Nawaja family from Yatta, and declarced the area an agricultural settlement. Water and electrical services were supplied to them, and the targeted land is estimated to be more than 500 hectares of land. And recently, nearly 20 caravans were added to this settlement.

5. Kharsina

The Israeli side announced a new master plan to include hundreds of hectares for the benefit of settlers in the area of Khilat Al-Salasel and Khilat Al-Daba.

6. Yatneh

The settlers have established a new settlement nucleus in the Wadi Simsem area, belonging to Al-Thahiriya lands. Work has gone on during the Barak government.

7. The military commander issued an order to confiscate a street in the Tel Al-Rumaida area of Hebron (H2) in order to establish a wall surrounding the settlement.
8. Telem settlers closed the agricultural road belonging to the citizens of Tarqumiyya, in spite of an order issued by the Israeli legal advisor against closure.
9. The Israeli authorities have allowed the settler Ben Ari to establish a stone crushing plant in Khilet Abu Halthem. It is worth mentioning that this area is regarded as a closed military area and a shooting area. Palestinian landowners are prevented from entering these lands.
10. The Israeli authorities issued a military order stipulating the closure of areas for military purposes extending from Jericho until the borders of 1967, south of Yatta village, as well as the area East of Abu Dis and the area East of El Khalil (Hebron), all the way to the "Dead Sea" area.

11. The settlers of Karmei Tsour constructed a road on lands belonging to the Abu Yusef family, and added six new caravans. They also proceeded to build tens of houses.

12. The settlers of Sussia plowed lands belonging to the Al-Nawaja'a and Shreitieh families.

13. The Israeli authorities issued military orders to close area west of Ithna and Beit Ula, and these orders threaten the livelihood of thousands of citizens and prevent them from exploiting their lands.

14. The Israeli authorities prevented the Renovation Committee from building and renovating in the area to the East of the            Al-Ibrahimi Mosque, supported by military orders renewed systematically every 14 days by the military commander.

15. The Israeli side issued an order to prevent the renovation of deteriorated houses in the Qasbah neighborhood.
16. The settlers, guarded by the army, bulldozed agricultural lands and uprooted olive trees in the Tel Al-Rumaida area, belonging to the citizen Hani Abu Heikal.
17. The so-called Higher Planning Committee declared the new master plan project no. 3/307 in parts of Abu Suda from lands belonging to Beit Omar. This is in contradiction with the terms of the interim agreement, which prohibit any settlement activity beyond the existing settlements and military locations that may alter the situation on the ground, unless first discussed with the Palestinian side.
18. The settlers of Hagai have expanded their settlement, and established a road on lands belonging to the Al-Harush and Al-Juba'a families. The targeted land is estimated at more than 1000 dunums.
19. The settlers of Karmei Tsour removed the fence surrounding the settlement, and expanded by nearly 10 dunums of land as a prelude to annexing them to the aforementioned settlement.
20. The settlers of Kfar Etzion bulldozed 50 dunums of land belonging to citizens from Beit Omar in order to use it for agricultural purposes.
21. The Higher Planning Committee announced the new master plan no.2/407 to the East of the settlement of Migdal Oz, which will affect the lands belonging to Beit Omar, Al-Khader and Beit Fujjar.