3 dec 2018
At the entrances of Nablus governorate to the north-west, the towns of Deir Sharaf, Barqa and Bazaria, suffer from the scarcity of water, despite the fact that they live on a large water basin, while the nearby settlement of Shavei Shomron enjoys large amounts of water round the clock.
The residents of these towns, which number more than 40,000, are distressed and thirsty, while 1,200 settlers consume water twice as much they do.
Palestinians’ plantations die because of the lack of water in the summer, and the trees of Shavei Shomron settlement rise up in the sky due to abundant amounts of water.
Water guaranteed for settlers
Dirar Abu Omar, the Director of the Agricultural Relief Society in Nablus and the former deputy mayor of Barqa village for four years, said that the Israelis control the water basin in the settlement of Shomron, which gets its water from the water-well of the Palestinian neighboring village of Beit Iba. When the water level goes down to less than two meters, settlers get water around the clock.
He added that anyone observing the trees inside the Israeli military post and the settlement of Shomron, could see the size of the trees, which are no more than ten years old. The trees of the villages of Naqoura and Deir Sharaf, which are 60 years old, do not reach half of their size due to the lack of water.
The suffering in summer
The head of the council of Deir Sharaf village, Fahmi Nofal, confirms that only a street separates his town from the Israeli settlement. In the summer, the town suffers from lack of drinking water, and people are forced to buy water through tanks or to bring water from a water spring in the town.
Farmer Abdullah Antari says that dozens of dunums planted with citrus have dried up or decreased their produce due to the lack of water, after the village was known for orange and lemon produce, which was profitable for farmers, pointing out that one of the workers from the town at the settlement of Shomron has noticed the existence of swimming pools in the majority of the houses of the settlement, as well as pipes for watering plantations around the clock.
According to Mahmoud Saifi, the Director of the Land Research Center in Nablus, the Israeli occupation controls the Palestinian resources, including water, as well as the drilling of water-wells and the quantities of water allowed to be pumped, based on the Oslo Accords, without heeding the needs of the citizens for drinking water and for irrigating crops.
Israeli control
He added that the villages north-west of Nablus is an example of this, despite the presence of plenty of water under their land, and the passage of water lines in front of their homes.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the Israeli occupation controls 85% of the water flowing from the aquifers, forcing the Palestinians to purchase water from the Israeli water company Mekorot; the amount of water purchased amounted to 63.5 million m3.
The Israeli occupation also controls most of the renewable water resources in Palestine, amounting to about 750 million m3 annually, while the Palestinians receive only about 110 million m3 of the available resources.
The Palestinian share of the aquifers according to the Oslo Accords is 118 million m3. This quantity was supposed to become 200 million m3 by the year 2000, if the Oslo Accords were implemented.
According to Engineer Mazen Ghoneim, the Head of the Water Authority in Palestine, the daily ration of water of Israeli settlers is from 400 to 800 liters, compared to 45-50 liters for the Palestinians.
The residents of these towns, which number more than 40,000, are distressed and thirsty, while 1,200 settlers consume water twice as much they do.
Palestinians’ plantations die because of the lack of water in the summer, and the trees of Shavei Shomron settlement rise up in the sky due to abundant amounts of water.
Water guaranteed for settlers
Dirar Abu Omar, the Director of the Agricultural Relief Society in Nablus and the former deputy mayor of Barqa village for four years, said that the Israelis control the water basin in the settlement of Shomron, which gets its water from the water-well of the Palestinian neighboring village of Beit Iba. When the water level goes down to less than two meters, settlers get water around the clock.
He added that anyone observing the trees inside the Israeli military post and the settlement of Shomron, could see the size of the trees, which are no more than ten years old. The trees of the villages of Naqoura and Deir Sharaf, which are 60 years old, do not reach half of their size due to the lack of water.
The suffering in summer
The head of the council of Deir Sharaf village, Fahmi Nofal, confirms that only a street separates his town from the Israeli settlement. In the summer, the town suffers from lack of drinking water, and people are forced to buy water through tanks or to bring water from a water spring in the town.
Farmer Abdullah Antari says that dozens of dunums planted with citrus have dried up or decreased their produce due to the lack of water, after the village was known for orange and lemon produce, which was profitable for farmers, pointing out that one of the workers from the town at the settlement of Shomron has noticed the existence of swimming pools in the majority of the houses of the settlement, as well as pipes for watering plantations around the clock.
According to Mahmoud Saifi, the Director of the Land Research Center in Nablus, the Israeli occupation controls the Palestinian resources, including water, as well as the drilling of water-wells and the quantities of water allowed to be pumped, based on the Oslo Accords, without heeding the needs of the citizens for drinking water and for irrigating crops.
Israeli control
He added that the villages north-west of Nablus is an example of this, despite the presence of plenty of water under their land, and the passage of water lines in front of their homes.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the Israeli occupation controls 85% of the water flowing from the aquifers, forcing the Palestinians to purchase water from the Israeli water company Mekorot; the amount of water purchased amounted to 63.5 million m3.
The Israeli occupation also controls most of the renewable water resources in Palestine, amounting to about 750 million m3 annually, while the Palestinians receive only about 110 million m3 of the available resources.
The Palestinian share of the aquifers according to the Oslo Accords is 118 million m3. This quantity was supposed to become 200 million m3 by the year 2000, if the Oslo Accords were implemented.
According to Engineer Mazen Ghoneim, the Head of the Water Authority in Palestine, the daily ration of water of Israeli settlers is from 400 to 800 liters, compared to 45-50 liters for the Palestinians.
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Over 80 Israeli settlers, led by the fanatic rabbi Yehuda Glick, on Monday morning broke into al-Aqsa Mosque via al-Maghareba Gate.
Local sources said that groups of Israeli settlers stormed al-Aqsa Mosque during the early morning hours amid heavy police presence, while more settlers are expected to join them later in the day. Israeli settlers carry out daily incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque under the police protection especially in the early morning when the Mosque is almost empty of Palestinian worshipers. |
2 dec 2018
A horde of extremist Jewish settlers at dawn Sunday sabotaged the tires of some 30 Palestinian vehicles in the central Israeli-controlled Arab town of Kafr Qasim and spray-painted threats and slurs on property.
One truck was spray-painted with the slogan, “Jews will not be silent.” A wall was also prayed in Hebrew with “Death to Arabs.”
The Israeli police claimed they launched an investigation into the incident.
On Friday, the police said they were investigating the vandalism of a building and vehicles in a Palestinian village near Bethlehem.
Residents of the West Bank village of Jab’a, southwest of Bethlehem, said they discovered Hebrew graffiti spray-painted on homes and cars in the morning, and the tires of nine vehicles had been punctured. The graffiti included Stars of David and the words “Bat Ayin evacuation — revenge.” The previous day, the Israeli authorities had demolished an illegally constructed toilet facility near a synagogue in the nearby settlement of Bat Ayin.
Last Sunday, a number of vehicles were damaged and graffiti was spray-painted on walls and cars in the Palestinian village of al-Mughayir in the central West Bank.
Last month, Aisha Rabi, a Palestinian mother of eight, was killed when a big rock, thrown by a settler, flew through the windshield of the car her husband was driving and struck her head.
Such settlers’ attacks have increased in frequency in recent months.
However, Israeli law enforcement authorities exhibit extreme incompetence in addressing such widespread occurrence of settlers’ crimes.
The vast majority of investigation files regarding harm to Palestinians and their property are closed due to deliberate police failure to investigate properly. The deficiencies and flaws in the work of the Israeli police are clearly noticed at every stage of an investigation when the victim is a Palestinian citizen.
One truck was spray-painted with the slogan, “Jews will not be silent.” A wall was also prayed in Hebrew with “Death to Arabs.”
The Israeli police claimed they launched an investigation into the incident.
On Friday, the police said they were investigating the vandalism of a building and vehicles in a Palestinian village near Bethlehem.
Residents of the West Bank village of Jab’a, southwest of Bethlehem, said they discovered Hebrew graffiti spray-painted on homes and cars in the morning, and the tires of nine vehicles had been punctured. The graffiti included Stars of David and the words “Bat Ayin evacuation — revenge.” The previous day, the Israeli authorities had demolished an illegally constructed toilet facility near a synagogue in the nearby settlement of Bat Ayin.
Last Sunday, a number of vehicles were damaged and graffiti was spray-painted on walls and cars in the Palestinian village of al-Mughayir in the central West Bank.
Last month, Aisha Rabi, a Palestinian mother of eight, was killed when a big rock, thrown by a settler, flew through the windshield of the car her husband was driving and struck her head.
Such settlers’ attacks have increased in frequency in recent months.
However, Israeli law enforcement authorities exhibit extreme incompetence in addressing such widespread occurrence of settlers’ crimes.
The vast majority of investigation files regarding harm to Palestinians and their property are closed due to deliberate police failure to investigate properly. The deficiencies and flaws in the work of the Israeli police are clearly noticed at every stage of an investigation when the victim is a Palestinian citizen.
Dozens of Israeli settlers on Sunday morning defiled al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police.
Quds Press reported that 54 Jewish settlers forced their way into the Mosque in the early morning hours and performed Talmudic rituals.
The news agency said that a large police force accompanied the settlers until they left the site via al-Silsila Gate.
It added that 40 Israeli guides stormed the Mosque during the same period.
Israeli settlers and extremist Jewish groups carry out daily incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque, except on Fridays and Saturdays. The break-ins are usually conducted in two rounds: the morning and the afternoon.
Quds Press reported that 54 Jewish settlers forced their way into the Mosque in the early morning hours and performed Talmudic rituals.
The news agency said that a large police force accompanied the settlers until they left the site via al-Silsila Gate.
It added that 40 Israeli guides stormed the Mosque during the same period.
Israeli settlers and extremist Jewish groups carry out daily incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque, except on Fridays and Saturdays. The break-ins are usually conducted in two rounds: the morning and the afternoon.
1 dec 2018
The sound of Jewish settler bulldozers as they sweep and dig rocks to build infrastructure for five settlement outposts surrounding the village of Jalud, south of Nablus, is always heard. This has caused the loss of agricultural and pastoral land of the village, which has been plagued by Jewish settlements.
Abdullah Mohammed, the head of the village’s council, confirmed that the Israeli bulldozers continue to raze the village’s land on which many settlement outposts are built, as well as the construction of new roads, water reservoirs on the high mountains and housing units.
He added that the village is no longer able to bear the losses caused by the settlements. It has drained the majority of the village’s land, where the settlements’ expansion does not stop, with the aim of establishing a very large settlement bloc in the area.
Farmer Ahmad Alabid from Jalud said: “The settlements are causing the depletion of grazing areas and agricultural fields. The settlers claim that the land belongs to them and that we, the owners of the land, must leave in a clear theft under the threat of arms and the protection of the occupation army.”
As for why the Israeli occupation concentrates on settlements south of Nablus, researcher Khalid Maali said that this is due to the presence of ancient monuments which religious extremist settlers think come second in importance to that of occupied Jerusalem, as well as because of Jalud’s geographic and strategic location as it is located in the middle of the West Bank, north of Ramallah and east of Salfit and south of Nablus.
Ghassan Daghlas, the official in charge of the settlement profile in the northern West Bank, said a new settlement outpost had been established on the lands of Jalud village, south of the village school, where settlers erected a large tent and built wooden rooms in the area.
Five outposts
He added that settlement expansion is taking place in five sites in the lands of Jalud, such as in the settlements of Shvut Rachel and Amihai al-Jadida, where construction work is underway for building new houses and infrastructure.
At the same time, construction work is taking place at the outposts of Hayah, Ish Kudash and Kida, in addition to the construction of settlement outposts outside these outposts in order to expand them at the expense of Palestinian lands to bring more Jewish settlers in.
The settlements and outposts built on the lands of the village of Jalud, south and east, witnessed an unprecedented construction, bulldozing and settlement expansion in order to impose facts on the ground before the official declaration by the occupation authorities of legitimizing the five settlement outposts, thus forming of a huge settlement bloc on an area of more than 8 km2 of the lands of Jalud, which is classified as area C of the West Bank.
Jalud is a Palestinian village located 26 km to the southeast of the city of Nablus. It is located 790 meter above the sea level, and it is part of the Nablus governorate.
Its lands are surrounded by the villages of Qasri, Qaryut and al-Mughair. Its population in 1922 was estimated at 124. In 1945, there were about 300 people living in the village.
Abdullah Mohammed, the head of the village’s council, confirmed that the Israeli bulldozers continue to raze the village’s land on which many settlement outposts are built, as well as the construction of new roads, water reservoirs on the high mountains and housing units.
He added that the village is no longer able to bear the losses caused by the settlements. It has drained the majority of the village’s land, where the settlements’ expansion does not stop, with the aim of establishing a very large settlement bloc in the area.
Farmer Ahmad Alabid from Jalud said: “The settlements are causing the depletion of grazing areas and agricultural fields. The settlers claim that the land belongs to them and that we, the owners of the land, must leave in a clear theft under the threat of arms and the protection of the occupation army.”
As for why the Israeli occupation concentrates on settlements south of Nablus, researcher Khalid Maali said that this is due to the presence of ancient monuments which religious extremist settlers think come second in importance to that of occupied Jerusalem, as well as because of Jalud’s geographic and strategic location as it is located in the middle of the West Bank, north of Ramallah and east of Salfit and south of Nablus.
Ghassan Daghlas, the official in charge of the settlement profile in the northern West Bank, said a new settlement outpost had been established on the lands of Jalud village, south of the village school, where settlers erected a large tent and built wooden rooms in the area.
Five outposts
He added that settlement expansion is taking place in five sites in the lands of Jalud, such as in the settlements of Shvut Rachel and Amihai al-Jadida, where construction work is underway for building new houses and infrastructure.
At the same time, construction work is taking place at the outposts of Hayah, Ish Kudash and Kida, in addition to the construction of settlement outposts outside these outposts in order to expand them at the expense of Palestinian lands to bring more Jewish settlers in.
The settlements and outposts built on the lands of the village of Jalud, south and east, witnessed an unprecedented construction, bulldozing and settlement expansion in order to impose facts on the ground before the official declaration by the occupation authorities of legitimizing the five settlement outposts, thus forming of a huge settlement bloc on an area of more than 8 km2 of the lands of Jalud, which is classified as area C of the West Bank.
Jalud is a Palestinian village located 26 km to the southeast of the city of Nablus. It is located 790 meter above the sea level, and it is part of the Nablus governorate.
Its lands are surrounded by the villages of Qasri, Qaryut and al-Mughair. Its population in 1922 was estimated at 124. In 1945, there were about 300 people living in the village.
30 nov 2018
A group of illegal Israeli colonialist settlers infiltrated, on Friday at dawn, into a Palestinian village near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, punctured tires of several cars, and wrote racist graffiti.
Media sources said the Israeli assailants infiltrated into al-Jab’a village, west or Bethlehem, before puncturing the tires of many cars, parked on the sides of roads in the community.
They added that the colonists also wrote racist graffiti, including “revenge,” “Death to Arabs,” and “You must leave.”
The graffiti was written on walls of a number of homes and the local mosque, in addition to several cars.
The attack is the latest of ongoing violation carried out by the colonialist settlers, illegally living on Palestinian lands, in several parts of the West Bank.
Media sources said the Israeli assailants infiltrated into al-Jab’a village, west or Bethlehem, before puncturing the tires of many cars, parked on the sides of roads in the community.
They added that the colonists also wrote racist graffiti, including “revenge,” “Death to Arabs,” and “You must leave.”
The graffiti was written on walls of a number of homes and the local mosque, in addition to several cars.
The attack is the latest of ongoing violation carried out by the colonialist settlers, illegally living on Palestinian lands, in several parts of the West Bank.
29 nov 2018
More than 170 settlers broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque from al-Maghareba gate, heavily guarded by Israeli police and Special Forces.
Palestinian sources said that 99 settlers were allowed to break into the mosque where they listen to explanations about the ‘alleged temple’ and performed Talmudic rituals.
50 Jewish students were also allowed access into the holy shrine accompanied with an Israeli official, the sources added.
20 police forces in civilian clothing also stormed the Mosque.
According to the sources, large numbers of Israeli police and Special Forces have provided protection to these incursions.
Palestinian sources said that 99 settlers were allowed to break into the mosque where they listen to explanations about the ‘alleged temple’ and performed Talmudic rituals.
50 Jewish students were also allowed access into the holy shrine accompanied with an Israeli official, the sources added.
20 police forces in civilian clothing also stormed the Mosque.
According to the sources, large numbers of Israeli police and Special Forces have provided protection to these incursions.
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The village of Al Mughayyir sits 27 miles north of Jerusalem. Sitting above is the settlement of Shiloh, more than a quarter of which is constructed on Palestinian land, the locals say.
An elder from the village reports that the settlers now come into the village almost daily. “In the last three days they have cut the olive trees, which are very important for Palestinian people.” He also reported the destruction of their property, car tires slashed, graffiti on the walls, much of it reading in Hebrew ‘Price Tag’ and ‘Revenge’. The settler violence is becoming more regular and extreme, and there is no authority- Israeli or Palestinian- that responds to the multiple assaults. “Only citizens, Palestinians,” the elder reports. |
It is unclear where the attackers are coming from, but it is worth noting that a military encampment was just turned into an outpost- deemed illegal by international law- for settlers, known as “Jbaayt.”
Al Mughayyir is a beautiful village, situated among hundreds of olive trees, with bougainvillea that is spread across the landscape.
Al Mughayyir is a beautiful village, situated among hundreds of olive trees, with bougainvillea that is spread across the landscape.
28 nov 2018
Israel's Supreme Court has issued a decision providing for transferring the ownership of over 500 dunums of Palestinian-owned land near Gush Etzion settlement, south of Bethlehem, to the Jewish National Fund, Israel Hayom newspaper said on Tuesday.
The paper reported that the Supreme Court earlier this week rejected an appeal filed by the Palestinians against a court decision stipulating that the Jewish National Fund is the owner of these lands.
The court decision gives Israeli settlers the authority to build hundreds of settlement units on the seized lands which cover an area of 522 dunums (a dunum equals 1,000 square meters).
The Jewish National Fund is a Zionist organization founded in 1901 to raise funds from the Jews to seize Palestinian lands and establish Jewish settlements there. The Jewish National Fund's work continued during the British Mandate and even following the 1948 and 1967 wars.
There are 127 settlements and 116 random outposts in the West Bank inhabited by about 450,000 Israelis, while Jerusalem alone has 15 settlements where 220,000 Israelis live.
The paper reported that the Supreme Court earlier this week rejected an appeal filed by the Palestinians against a court decision stipulating that the Jewish National Fund is the owner of these lands.
The court decision gives Israeli settlers the authority to build hundreds of settlement units on the seized lands which cover an area of 522 dunums (a dunum equals 1,000 square meters).
The Jewish National Fund is a Zionist organization founded in 1901 to raise funds from the Jews to seize Palestinian lands and establish Jewish settlements there. The Jewish National Fund's work continued during the British Mandate and even following the 1948 and 1967 wars.
There are 127 settlements and 116 random outposts in the West Bank inhabited by about 450,000 Israelis, while Jerusalem alone has 15 settlements where 220,000 Israelis live.
Hordes of Israeli settlers on Wednesday morning stormed al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of large police forces.
Jerusalem's Islamic Awqaf Department said that the Israeli police escorted 28 settlers as they roamed the Mosque and performed Talmudic rituals early in the morning.
It added that two Israeli intelligence officers as well as 66 government officials stormed the Mosque during the same period.
The Israeli police allow Jewish settlers to carry out daily incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque, except on Fridays and Saturdays. The break-ins are usually conducted in two rounds: in the morning and afternoon.
Jerusalem's Islamic Awqaf Department said that the Israeli police escorted 28 settlers as they roamed the Mosque and performed Talmudic rituals early in the morning.
It added that two Israeli intelligence officers as well as 66 government officials stormed the Mosque during the same period.
The Israeli police allow Jewish settlers to carry out daily incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque, except on Fridays and Saturdays. The break-ins are usually conducted in two rounds: in the morning and afternoon.
