Description:
On the morning of Thursday, October 17, 2024, settlers began establishing a new settlement outpost on the lands of Farkha village, west of Salfit Governorate. Settlers were observed setting up a new housing unit, potentially as the nucleus of a future pastoral settlement outpost on the village's lands. This follows the earlier construction of a road leading to the area where the outpost has been established.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation, in coordination with settlers and using bulldozers belonging to the Israeli Settlement Council, resumed land leveling and the construction of a settlement road from the Al-Mutawi area, passing through the Al-Batin area on Farkha's lands, since October. This land is claimed by the occupation to be state land. Initial leveling works began in 2023.

The Road and Settlement Outpost Established by Settlers on the Lands  Farkha Village

Mr. Mustafa Bakr Hamad, head of the village council, stated the following:

"We have been suffering for some time from settlers carving out a settlement road and leveling vast areas of grazing land, which the occupation claims were confiscated in 1983 and declared state land. The most alarming development is the settlers establishing a new settlement outpost by placing a new mobile home there. This poses a serious threat to us on multiple levels.

The primary concern is the seizure of the village's only spring, which covers a significant portion of our water needs. Additionally, there are over 1,500 dunums of productive olive trees surrounding the outpost that will likely become a hotspot for settler attacks. Furthermore, it is not unlikely that the occupation will impose severe restrictions on farmers' access to the area under the pretext of protecting the settlers, adding a new and serious threat to the village."

A researcher from the center had previously documented settlers carving and preparing a settlement road and rehabilitating a grazing land plot in preparation for its seizure. This development paves the way for the confiscation of additional lands in the village.

Farkha Village:[1]

Farkha village is located 5 km to the west of Salfit city. It is bordered by Salfit to the north and east, Bruqin to the west, and Bani Zeid Al-Sharqiya and Qiraat Bani Zeid to the south.

The village had a population of 1,650 as of 2017. Its total area is 5,897 dunums, of which 322 dunums constitute the village's built-up area.

The Israeli occupation plans to construct the annexation and expansion wall, which, if implemented, will confiscate 66 dunums under its path and isolate 176 dunums. The planned wall will be 662 meters long.

Land Classification under the Oslo Accords for the Village:

• Area A: 2,981 dunums.
• Area B: 968 dunums.
• Area C: 1,948 dunums.

The UN General Assembly Resolutions on Settlements:
UN General Assembly Resolution of 20/12/1972: Called on Israel to cease a number of practices, including building Israeli settlements in occupied Arab territories and transferring some civilian populations from Israel to these territories.

• UN General Assembly Resolution of 15/12/1972: Requested that Israel refrain from annexing any part of the occupied Arab territories, establishing settlements in those areas, or transferring populations to them.
• UN General Assembly Resolution of 7/12/1973: Expressed deep concern over Israel’s violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and all measures taken to alter the character or demographic composition of the occupied territories, deeming them a violation of international law.
• UN General Assembly Resolution of 29/11/1974: Expressed grave concern about Israel’s annexation of parts of the occupied territories, the establishment of settlements, and the transfer of populations to these areas.
• UN General Assembly Resolution of 15/12/1975: Consisted of four parts and, in its first section, condemned all measures practiced by Israel in the occupied territories, describing them as serious violations of the UN Charter and obstacles to achieving a just and lasting peace in the region, affirming that these measures are null, void, and lacking legal validity.
• UN General Assembly Resolution of 28/10/1977: Affirmed in its first clause that all measures and actions taken by Israel in Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity, considering them a serious impediment to efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. The General Assembly also expressed profound regret over Israel’s continued implementation of these measures, particularly the establishment of settlements in the occupied Arab territories.

[1]Source:LRC-Information System.

مشروع: حماية الحقوق البيئية الفلسطينية في مناطق "ج" SPERAC V - 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