Land Research Center

Violation: Declaring lands as a natural reserve.

Location: ‘Ein Al-Hilweh – Wad Al-Malih / Tubas governorate.

Date: March 2022.

Perpetrators: The Israeli Nature Authority.

Victims: People of the village.

Description:

The Israeli Nature Authority placed signs in ‘Ein Al-Hilweh area in the northern Jordan Valley in Road 60 nearby ‘Ein Al-Hilweh claiming  that the location is a natural reserve , managed (controlled) by Israeli Nature authority , which means prohibiting Palestinian herders from accessing the postures (around 30,000 dunums of close area).

This step is an attempt to impose restrictions on Palestinians communities at the area , through imposing control on postures that are used by Herders in several Bedouin communities, who depend on cattle breeding as a main source of income.

This will contribute to connecting colonies to each other and establishing a large colonial cluster that includes (Meskeyot , Rotem, Mekhola , Jiva’at Sal’it , and Shedmot mekhola) and the outposts in Khallet Hamed , which means imposing control on lands between bypass roads 60 and 90 (about 65000 dunums).

Noting that the occupation already established an outpost on ‘Ein Al-Hilweh spring , and changed features of the spring during summer in 2021.

The Israeli Occupation is Judaizing the Jordan Valley , through several steps , starting from closing postures, and imposing restrictions on about 16 Bedouin community, through prohibiting construction and conduct military trainings.

The Signs

The Israeli Occupation turned 1633 dunums of Palestinian lands in Tubas Governorate to a Natural reserve in 2021 , in April 2022  turned 22,000 dunums into a natural reserve in Wad Al-Meklek area in Jericho governorate , they also targeted Wadi As-Seeq area in Ramallah and Al-Yanoun in Nablus , for more information read LRC reports:

• The Israeli Occupation Declares 22 dunums as a “Natural Reserve” in Wad Al-Meklak / South Jericho
• Israeli Nature Authority Plants Signs to turn a Bedouin community into a Natural Reserve in Deir Dibwan / Ramallah Governorate
• The Israeli Occupation Modifies Borders of a Natural Reserve in Wad Al-Malih / Tubas Governorate
• The Israeli occupation lay hands on Palestinian lands in Yanun Village