Violation: Closure of an Agricultural Road and Expansions at Kerem ‘Elam colony.

Location: Al-Mazra’a Al-Gharbiya village / Ramallah Governorate.

Date: October 4^th 2021.

Perpetrators: The Israeli Occupation Army.

Victims: Farmers from Al-Mazra’a Al-Gharbiya village.

Description:

Monday, October 4^th 2021, The Israeli Occupation forces sat up a metal gate on the entrance of an agricultural road that leads to many locations like “As-Suwana” , “Umm Toukh” and “Baten At-Tayra” from Al-Mazra’a Al-Gharbiya.

Noteworthy, the targeted Agricultural Road provides access to about 1400 dunums of olive groves. The main objective of the closure is to prevent Palestinian personal vehicles or even preventing farm machineries from reaching the location.

Farmer Yousif Ladawda; a land owner at the location told LRC:

“Before the Construction of Kerem ‘Elam colony on the town’s lands 15 years ago, Agricultural lands west the town was known of its special biodiversity. Soon after the construction of the colony, illegal Israeli colonists started opening roads, and changing main features at the area, While the occupation authorities prohibited farmers from reaching and cultivating their lands. Recently, The area was completly closed via metal gates to impose restrictions that hinder land development and exploitation.”

The road closure has negative impacton the agricultural sector, especially that most farmers in town work at their olive groves every day, and closing the road will affect their  daily life.

Kerem ‘Elam colony:

During the field observation tour, We noticed expansions in Kerem ‘Elam colony ; at the western side 29 new residential units are being built , at the eastern side on the other hand 17 mobile houses were installed , in addition to ravages in vast areas of lands around the colony leveling for expansion.

 Expansions of Kerem ‘Elam colony on Al-Mazra’a Al-Gharbiya lands

About Al-Mazra’a Al-Qiblya -  Al-Gharbiya:

It is located 12km to the northwest of Ramallah city. The village is edged by Abu Shkeidim area from the north, Talmon colony from the west, Abu Qash village from the east, and Ein Qiniya village from the south.

The village has a total land area of 15,275 dunums, of which 1165 dunums are the built-up area. Around 5180 people inhabit the village (2017).

The Israeli occupation confiscated around 329 dunums from the village’s lands to establish the colonies of Nahliel (1984) and the colony of Talmon (1989).

Also, the bypass road number 450 confiscated 75 dunums from the village.

According to Oslo lands classifications, the village lands are as follows:

• 8533 dunums are area classified “B”
• 6742 dunums are area classified “C”

United Nations General Assembly resolutions on Israeli settlement

1-United Nations General Assembly resolution of 20/1/1972, in which it demanded that Israel is asked to stop  a number of measures and practices, including (building Israeli settlements in the occupied Arab territories and transferring some of the civilian population from Israel to the occupied Arab territories).

2-United Nations General Assembly resolution of 15/12/1972, in which the General Assembly requested Israel to stop annexing any part of the occupied Arab territories, establishing settlements in those lands, and transferring the population to them.

3-United Nations General Assembly of 7/12/1973, in which the General Assembly expressed its grave concern over Israel’s violation of the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and all measures taken by Israel to change the features of the occupied territories or their demographic composition, and considered them a grave violation of international law.

4-United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 29/11/1974 in which the General Assembly expressed its deepest concern over the annexation by Israel of some parts of the occupied territories, the establishment of settlements and the transfer of residents to them.

5-United Nations General Assembly resolution of 15/12/1975, consisting of four sections, and in the first section it condemned all the measures that Israel practices in the occupied territories, describing these practices as serious violations of the United Nations Charter and an obstacle to the establishment of a lasting and just peace in the region, stressing that these procedures are null and void, and have no basis of legitimacy.

6-General Assembly Resolution of 28/10/1977, which affirmed in its first clause that all measures and actions taken by Israel in the Palestinian territories and other Arab territories occupied in 1967 are legally untrue, and are a serious obstruction to the endeavors to reach a just and permanent peace in the Middle East. The General Assembly also deeply regrets that Israel continues to implement these measures, in particular the establishment of settlements in the occupied Arab territories.

7-United Nations Security Council Resolution 478, adopted on 20 August 1980, is one of two General Assembly resolutions [1][2] followed by seven UNSC resolutions condemning Israel's attempted annexation of East Jerusalem. In particular, UNSC res 478 notes Israel's non-compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 476[3] and condemned Israel's 1980 Jerusalem Law which declared Jerusalem to be Israel's "complete and united" capital, as a violation of international law. The resolution states that the Council will not recognize this law, and calls on member states to accept the decision of the council. This resolution also calls upon member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

8-In resolution 2334 (2016), the Security Council reaffirmed that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity and constituted a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. In the same resolution, the Council reiterated its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and that it fully respect all of its legal obligations in that regard. No such steps were taken during the reporting period.

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