Violation: Burning of agricultural structures

Location: Ras al-Auja, Jericho Governorate

Date of Violation: April 5, 2024

Perpetrators: Colonists from "Mevo'ot Yeriho" settlement

Affected Party: Farmer Jaber Ahmad Salem Al-Mahina

Description:

A group of colonists, believed to be from the "Mevo'ot Yericho" settlement, which is situated on the lands of the Al-Auja village, stormed the Ras al-Auja area at dawn on Friday, April 5, 2024. They attacked three agricultural structures (sheep barns) belonging to farmer Jaber Ahmad Salem Al-Mahina, who supports a family of 9, including 5 females and 4 children.

The colonists took advantage of the absence of the Bedouin residents who live in the area seasonally, and set fire to three tin sheet barns, resulting in the complete destruction of the barns and the loss of agricultural tools, leftover feed, plastic bags, and other agricultural belongings.

The affected farmer reported to the Land Research Center's researcher:

"I live in Ras al-Auja seasonally, spending the summer in the area, and moving to Al-Auja village during the winter and early spring, while leaving my barns and agricultural structures intact to maintain our presence in the face of continuous Israeli targeting."

He continued, saying:

"On Friday morning, I received a call from a nearby Bedouin resident, who informed me that there was a fire in the barns. He lives about 90 meters away from my barns. I immediately went with a group of young men and relatives to the site, arriving about an hour after the call. I saw that the fire had completely destroyed the barns and their contents. I suspect the colonists, as they are constantly in the area near my barns and had previously threatened to burn them. Despite this, I plan to return soon and rebuild the barns. Each barn is 60 square meters in size."

About Al-Auja Village[1]:

Al-Auja village is located 12 kilometers from Jericho. It covers a total area of 106,399 dunams, of which 1,186 dunams are for the village's built-up area. As of 2017, its population was 5,224 people. The occupation has confiscated 4,717 dunams of the village's land for settlement and military use. The Israeli military has seized 1,600 dunams, and the construction of the 8,180-meter-long Route 90 has taken over 818 dunams. The village is home to five Israeli settlements, which have taken 2,299 dunams of land from Al-Auja.

[1] Source: Geographic Information Systems Unit - Land Research Center.

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