Land Research Center

Violation: An order to remove residential and agricultural tents under the pretext of posing a danger to an archaeological site.

Location: Khirbet Jabet, located to the east of Al-Mughayer village / Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate.

Violation date: June 29, 2022.

The aggressor: the so-called antiquities inspector of the Israeli Civil Administration.

Affected party: The citizen Fadl Ibrahim Hamed Abu Alia.

Violation details:

On the morning of Wednesday, June 29, 2022, the so-called antiquities inspector of the Israeli Civil Administration notified the evacuation of residential and agricultural tents in the Khirbet Jabet area, which have been in the place for many years, owned by Fadel Ibrahim Hamed Abu Alia, under the pretext of posing a danger on an archaeological area, according to the Occupation’s claim.

The military notification No. (1002) stated that the occupation had set a 14-day period for the implementation of the removal, otherwise the citizen would be fined to pay the costs of removal and demolition.

Owner Ibrahim Fada Abu Alia told the field researcher at the Land Research Center the following:

“I have lived with my family in Khirbet Jebet for more than fifty years, and we own this land and we have official papers “Tabu papers” and we have been cultivating the land for many years. Our tents and houses have been in place for a long time but he occupation has demolished part of it more than once. The occupation was directed to do this by the settlers in the neighboring outposts to notify us of the evacuation and removal until they expelled us and then took control of the land completely”.

According to the field follow-up at the site of the violation, the damaged facilities are as follows:

The citizen Abu Alia also reported: “The settlers threatened us more than once, attacked us, closed the pastures, and robbed us of our human rights”.

It must be mentioned that in 2019, the so-called Antiquities Protection Officer of the Israeli Civil Administration stormed Khirbet Jabet, and the citizen Fadl Abu Alia and his cousin Anis Abu Alia were notified of the eviction under the pretext of posing a danger to antiquities. At that time, the occupation set a period not exceeding 14 days in order to dismantle their tents, and despite the submission of an objection to the competent Israeli authorities, the occupation demolished and confiscated the tents in 2020 on the basis of the same reason.

The residents of “Khirbet Jabet” depend mainly on agriculture and livestock. Since the evacuation of the Jebet camp near the settlement about three years ago, the settlers began to seize the camp’s land to establish a settlement outpost there, and since that time the settlers have carried out a number of attacks against the shepherds and farmers to restrict them and force them to stay away from using the land and practicing their agricultural activities with the settlers’ aim of seizing the entire lands of the region.

Al Mughayyir[1]:

Al Mughayyir is located 30 km to the north east of Ramallah; it is inhabited by around 3,249 people according to the PCBS statistics conducted in 2017.

Most of the village agricultural fields are located in its eastern parts; its total area is 33055 dunums, 501 of which are built-up area.

The Israeli occupation confiscated 37 dunums of Al Mughayyir lands for bypass 458.

According to Oslo Accords, about 95% of the village is under Area C while only 5% is under Area B.

• Area B: 1,695 dunums

• Area C: 31,360 dunums

[1] GIS - LRC