Israeli Occupation Continues to violate Palestinian Farmers’ Rights

(Ramallah, September 2015) The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) follows up intensely the Israeli violations against the Palestinian farmers to expose the brutality of the occupation to the local and international world. West Bank Damages to the agricultural sector & Violence against farmers

More than 16 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and their property were recorded this month, including:

• Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians caused damage to around 550 trees and a water cistern in Hebron
• Israeli settler attacks resulting in damage to Palestinian property was recorded in Mazra’a Al Qibliya village in Ramallah and set fire on a quarry truck belonging to a Palestinian from the village.
• Israeli settlers settled in a Palestinian house in the Silwan area of East Jerusalem, triggered clashes between settlers and Palestinians resulted in injury to 13 Palestinians by Israeli forces in the course of their intervention.
• Israeli settler physically assaulted of a 20-year-old Palestinian by a group of Israeli settlers, and killed seven sheep on road 317, in the H2 area of Hebron city
• Israeli forces intensified access restrictions in the West Bank, including closing the southern and western agricultural roads in Kafr Qaddum village (Qalqiliya).
• Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian-owned agricultural land near Burin in Nablus.
• Israeli forced bulldozed around ten dunums, damaged 800 meters of retaining walls and two water tanks, and uprooted 60 olive trees in in Khallet an Nahla area in Bethlehem
• Israeli authorities issued eviction orders against 600 m2 of land east of Qusra (Nablus), claiming it is “state land”, and against over 20 dunums of land in Qarawat Bani Hassan village (Salfit), on grounds that it is a natural reserve.
• Israeli authorities confiscated a tractor in Ein al Hilwa and a water tank from Humsa Al Bqai’a, for unclear reasons in Tubas governorate.
• Israeli forces destroyed an agricultural irrigation system in Al Baq’a area of Hebron city, on grounds that it was connected to a main water pipeline without authorization, damaging seasonal crops planted in the land.

Demolitions

During September/2015 at least 59 Palestinian structures were demolished in different Palestinian communities (mainly East Jerusalem, Area C, and West Bank), according to the weekly reports of the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Gaza

September/2015 recorded at least 6 incidents where the Israeli forces opened fire at the fishermen and farmers approaching or exceeding the Israeli-imposed Access Restricted Areas (ARA) at land and sea, according to the weekly reports of the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Note: numbers and facts rely on the United Nations office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ April weekly reports, unless stated otherwise.