Land Research Center

Violation: Settlers Farm a land leveling to steal it from its Palestinian owners.

Location: Zaqandah – Al-Khader town / Bethlehem governorate.

Date: 08/02/2019.

Perpetrators: settlers of “Elazar”

Victims: Families of Mohammad Ghnaim , Ahmad Ghnaim, Tawfiq Ghnaim and Ali Ghnaim.

Description:

Settlers of the illegal settlement “Elazar” cultivated a 3 dunums land as a first step in grabbing it, as Eyad Issa from a legal consultant office in Al-Khader municipality testified.

LRC field team said that the perpetrators left fertilizers bags, empty bags and some clothes before they left.

Settlers continue these policies, that are represented by dealing with the land as if it does not have any owners, they cultivate it and grab it , ignoring the rights of Palestinian people that are granted by international conventions and agreements.

Noteworthy , the owners filed a complaint to the Israeli so called civil administration, even though the Israeli courts never give Palestinians just trials , the land owners are taking every possible chance to protect their lands.

photos of the planted trees

Al Khader:[1]

Located 4 kilometer west of Bethlehem, Al Khader village is surrounded by Beit Jala and Battir (north), Husan and Nahhalin (west), Ad Doha, Wadi Rahall, and Beit Jala (east), Wadi An Nais (south).

Al Khader has a population of 9774 according to statistics conducted in 2007. It has a total area of 8279 dunums, 184 of which are built-up area.

The Israeli occupation confiscated 29 dunums of Al Khader lands for Efrat and Daniel colonies. Efrat was built in 1979 and devoured 5.8 dunums of Al Khader. It is inhabited by 7037 colonists. Daniel was built in 1982 and confiscated 23 dunums. 1073 colonists live in the colony.

Bypasses number 60 and 375 devoured more than 487 dunums. Not to mention the Apartheid Wall that destroyed 280 dunums and isolated 5638 dunums of the village. The Wall in Al Khadr is 2805 meters long.

According to Oslo Accords, 10% of Al Khadr is under Area A (PA has full civil and security control) while 6% is under Area B (PA is in charge of civil matters with Israel responsible for security). However, most of the village lands (84%) is under Area C (Israel maintains full security and administrative control). Here are the area in dunums:

Area A (808) dunums

Area B (475) dunums

Area C (6996) dunums

[1] GIS-LRC

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