Land Research Center

Violation: Construction of a section from Bypass road number ‘5’.

Location: Al Funduq village / Qalqilya governorate.

Date: March, 2^nd, 2025.

Perpetrator: The Civil Administration of the Israeli occupation.

Affected Party: Residents and landowners of the village.

 Details: 

In the early hours of Sunday, March 2^nd, 2025, the Israeli occupation began excavation works, aimed at constructing a section of the alternative bypass road No.’5’. this road was officially announced in late 2023, by the Israeli civil administration’s, higher planning council as an alternative to the current section that passes through the center of al Funduq village. It aims to link the Israeli settlements located to the east of Qalqilya with green lines, as part of what called bypass road No. ‘5’.

According to direct field monitoring at the site at the violations on Monday morning by the field research team at LRC, several observations were recorded, including the following:

 ‘’A-1200- meter section of the bypass road near al Funduq village was recently completed. The ongoing construction, located just south of the village and near its structural boundaries, is being carried out by three bulldozers and has led to the destruction of agricultural land.’’

Three homes are located in close proximity to the newly constructed section, facing significant risk. The closest one just lies ten meters away from the road being built. Additionally there are three nearby agricultural structures. It is important to note that all the structures are located within area ‘B’ as the Oslo Accords.

If the construction of the road section is completed, the colonial bypass road will close several agricultural roads that serve more than 150 dunams of olive groves. This poses a real and tangible threat to the agricultural lands south of the new section, and isolating them from the village. It is important to note that these agricultural roads are frequently used by farmers to access their lands, and ongoing construction will effectively block these roads.

 Additionally, there is a significant risk to the villages water, electricity, and communication.

Mr. Loay Mustafa Taim, Head of the Village Council, stated:

‘’What is happening today based on the plan that was submitted and approved by the higher planning council of Israeli civil administration in 2023, is the implementation of an alternative section south of Al Funduq village, with length of 2800 meters and width of 80 meters. The occupation claims that it aims to remove the settlers and prevent them from passing through the middle of the village. However, in reality the occupation seeks to destroy the entire village and prevent construction within it.’’

There are 218 dunams of lands in the path of the road, owned by 200 farmers from the villages and towns of Jinsafut, Hajjat al Funduq. Additionally, no loss than 400 more dunams will be situated on both sides of the new section, most of which are in area ‘B’. According to Oslo Accords. The residents will not be able to use these lands due to so called road buffer zone. It is important to note these lands contain residential home and agricultural facilities.

Head of village council added: 

‘’There is significant concern that the occupation intends to devour more lands from the village, as it now lies between the new section under construction and the previously constructed section, which has effectively been encircled. This would prevent construction or population expansion, signaling a major humanitarian disaster and imposing restrictions on building and residential development. Furthermore, the lands located south of a new section will be completely isolated, due to the destruction of agricultural roads that connected the village to those lands, which are planted with olive trees.’’

The field researcher at the LRC team observed at the beginning of 2024 that the occupation began cutting down several trees in al Funduq and Jinsafut villages, which are located within the area of the ongoing road construction. It was estimated that hundreds of trees were affected.

United Nations General Assembly Resolutions Regarding Settlement:

UN General Assembly Resolution dated 20/12/1972: This resolution called on Israel to cease a number of actions and practices, including building Israeli settlements in occupied Arab territories and transferring Israeli civilians to these territories.

UN General Assembly Resolution dated 15/12/1972: The General Assembly urged Israel to stop annexing any part of the occupied Arab territories and establishing settlements there, as well as transferring populations to those territories.

UN General Assembly Resolution dated 07/12/1973: This resolution expressed deep concern over Israel's violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and all actions taken by Israel to alter the features of occupied lands or their demographic composition, considering these actions as violations of international law.

UN General Assembly Resolution dated 29/11/1974: The General Assembly expressed grave concern over Israel's annexation of parts of occupied lands, the establishment of settlements, and the transfer of populations to those areas.

UN General Assembly Resolution dated 15/12/1975: This resolution, consisting of four sections, condemned Israel's actions in the occupied territories, describing these practices as serious violations of the UN Charter and an obstacle to achieving a lasting and just peace in the region. It emphasized that these actions were null and void and had no legal basis.

UN General Assembly Resolution dated 28/10/1977: This resolution affirmed in its first section that all measures and actions taken by Israel in Palestinian territories and other Arab lands occupied since 1967 are legally invalid, and represent a severe obstruction to efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. The General Assembly strongly regretted Israel's continued implementation of these measures, especially the establishment of settlements in the occupied Arab territories.

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