Land Research Center

• Violation: Notices to stop work and construction.
• Location: Azzun 'Atma / Qalqiliya Governorate.
• Date of Violation: 28/01/2025.
• Aggressor: called Israeli Civil Administration.
• Affected Parties: 5 Palestinian families from Azzun 'Atma village.

Description:

Azzun 'Atma village, located west of Qalqiliya city, was targeted by the called building inspector of the Israeli Civil Administration, who stormed the western area of the village and targeted five agricultural and tourism facilities with stop-work and construction orders, under the pretext of building without a permit within what is known as "Area C".

According to the details in the occupation's notifications, the occupation has set the date (26/2/2025) for a session of the Building and Planning Committee, which is headquartered in the " Beit El" settlement, to consider the legal status of those targeted facilities. It should be noted that the occupation originally refuses to grant any permit for any existing facility in "Area C" with the aim of displacing residents and changing the demographic situation there.

 In truth, the issue is not centered around unauthorized Palestinian construction as much as the occupation authorities' insistence on keeping the western lands surrounding Azzun 'Atma village empty for the benefit of colonial expansions. The village is besieged from the eastern and northern sides by the "Shaare Tikva" settlement, with no possibility for expansion in this direction. The empty areas on the western side, which are the only alternative for the people of Azzun 'Atma to expand into, are where the occupation prohibits construction so that these areas remain as colonial reserves for the "Zamarot" and "Oranit" settlements established on the western side of the village. For the benefit of these settlements, the Israeli occupation prevents the natural Palestinian expansion of this village, even though the citizens have built their homes and facilities on their lands that they inherited from their ancestors.

 For his part, Professor Abdul Karim Ayoub, a member of the Village Council, informed the LRC researcher of the following:

"The western area of the village, especially the area adjacent to 'Bayarat Al-Shalla' and also the area surrounding the 'Oranit' settlement, is the target of Israeli occupation. From 2015 until today, the area has witnessed a large number of stop-work and construction notices, not to mention the demolition operations that occur there. A large number of facilities have been demolished and many farmers have been displaced after being targeted. Despite this, we are working with a number of agricultural authorities to support farmers there with the aim of stabilizing them because of the demolition and sabotage actions pursued by the Israeli occupation."

 It is noted that Azzun 'Atma village is facing a colonial plan targeting it. According to data from the Village Council in Azzun 'Atma village until the beginning of 2025, the number of military notices for demolition or stopping construction in Azzun 'Atma village reached approximately 70 notices, with more than 14 facilities already demolished, including residential, agricultural, and even commercial structures.

The village is surrounded by the "Shaare Tikva" settlement from the eastern and northern sides, with the settlement houses almost touching some of the houses in the village. The settlement is surrounded and fenced with a wire fence separating it from Azzun 'Atma from the eastern and northern sides. This has been the case since the establishment of the settlement, which took control of more than (1500) dunums of land from the village and neighboring villages (Sanniriya, Mas-ha, Beit Amin, Az Zawiya). These lands were planted with olives, almonds, and grains.

From the western side, it is surrounded by the 'Oranit ' settlement, which was established in (1983) on an area of more than (2000) dunums. The settlement is surrounded by a barbed wire fence, which means that the village has been closed from the southern, eastern, and western sides since (1981), and it can only be entered through the main gates of each settlement, which are main gates under heavy guard.

A Brief Overview of Azzun 'Atma:

Azzun 'Atma is a town located 8 km from the city of Qalqiliya, with a total area of 9,472 dunums, of which 1,054 dunums are designated as the town's built-up area. As of 2017, its population was 2,068 residents.

The Israeli occupation has confiscated hundreds of dunums of its land for settlement expansion and the construction of the separation wall:

• The settlement of Ma’ale Shamron, established in 1980, is located on the town's land and has seized 276 dunums.
• Bypass Road No. 55, which stretches 4,173 meters across Azzun's land, has resulted in the confiscation of 417 dunums.
• Additionally, the construction of the separation wall destroyed hundreds of dunums and isolated 1,205 dunums behind it.

It is worth noting that most of Azzun 'Atma land is classified as Area C, meaning it is under full Israeli control. The town has no land classified as Area A. The classification of its land is as follows:

• 2,546 dunums are classified as Area B.
• 6,927 dunums are classified as Area C.

 What Israel is doing in the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes a violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and their land, as well as a breach of international laws and norms. Below are key provisions from international laws and treaties that prohibit Israeli settlement activity in Palestinian territories and protect civil and public property in occupied lands, along with relevant United Nations resolutions:

 Lahai Convention / 1907:

• Article 46: The occupying power is prohibited from confiscating private property.
• Article 55: The occupying power shall be regarded only as the administrator and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and agricultural estates belonging to the occupied state. It must safeguard the capital of these properties and administer them according to the rules of usufruct.

The Fourth Geneva Convention / 1949:

• Article 49: The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies, nor take any measures that would result in demographic changes in the occupied area.
• Article 53: Any destruction by the occupying power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the state, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.
• Article 147: Extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, constitutes a grave breach of the Convention.

[1] Source: GIS Unit – LRC.

مشروع: حماية الحقوق البيئية الفلسطينية في مناطق "ج" SPERAC IV   - FCDO

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of Land Research Center and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the project donor; the Norwegian Refugee Council.

إخلاء المسؤولية: الآراء ووجهات النظر الواردة في هذا التقرير هي آراء ووجهات نظر مركز أبحاث الأراضي ولا تعكس بالضرورة وجهات نظر أو مواقف الجهة المانحة للمشروع؛ المجلس النرويجي. للاجئين