Violation: Israeli Settlers’ assaults.

Location: Hajib Zghaib – Tuqu’ / Bethlehem governorate.

Date: 10/02/2019.

Perpetrator: Settlers of  Nokdim.

Victims: Mohammad Sabah and his brothers.

Description:

In the early morning hours of Monday , while the Sabah family were heading to their land as usual, they were shocked of Israeli settlers and troops standing in their land, the intruders prohibited Sabah family from accessing their land, and told them that they need to get permissions from the Israeli coordination office  in order to get in.

Mohammad Sabah told LRC reporter:

“ We were exposed to several assaults by settlers, they cultivated our land as if it was their own , we filed an objection to the Israeli court, but they never give us a just trial”

Noteworthy, “Nokdim” was established on confiscated lands from Tuqu’ .  The Sabah family owns 300 dunums in the area proved by legal papers. However, Israeli illegal settlers have their eyes on  Sabah lands, and have been cultivating it with forest trees and acting as if it was their property.

Sabah asserted:

“ Few years ago, Settlers placed a caravan and an outdoor bathroom in our land, we filed a complaint, and we managed to make them remove them. Nowadays, we can only know what they are doing to our land by looking from up the hill.”

Noteworthy, Nokdim settlement receives special support from the Israeli government because the former defense Minister “Avigdor Liberman” lives in it with his family.

The following table provides more information about the affected from the assault:

 Forest trees cultivated by illegal settlers in Sabah’s property

 The targeted plot

 an outpost related to Nokdim settlement

About Tuqu’[1]:

Tuqu' is an old Canaanite name which meant "placing of tents"; the crusaders called it "Thecua" as it was one of their strongholds in Bethlehem area. Tuqu' has a great deal of Roman, Greek, and Mamluke ruins considering its strategic location.

One of the most significant ruins is the "baptism basin" which is a stony artifact that has been cut and formed. It represents a number of Christian sects.

It is believed that the artifact has been made around the 1750s; it is also believed that this is one part of a two-part artifact; the second part's location is unknown.

Tuqu' total area is 199,634 dunums. Therefore it is considered the largest rural community in Palestine. The village is 5km to the south of Bethlehem governorate and is covered by evergreen trees, making it an attraction to many visitors and tourists.

It is inhabited by  8767  people by 2017 including all its four parts namely: Tuqu’, Khirbet Tuqu', Khirbet al-Dair, and al-Halqum.

Tuqu' is surrounded by 5 Israeli colonies including:

“Tqua” settlement was established in 1977 , devoured 1,033 dunums , and populated by 1,116 settlers.

“Mushki Dar Got” was established in 1991 and devoured 93 dunums.

“Nokdim” was established in 1982 , devoured 345 dunums and populated 646 settlers.

In addition, bypass roads 356/3157/3670 devoured more than 99 dunums. Oslo conventions divided Tuqu’ as the following:

• B area: 3,954 dunums.
• C area : 195,680 dunums , about 46,841 dunums is a natural reserve.

[1] GIS-LRC

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