2018-10-10

Halt work order on land rehabilitation works in Jannatah/ Bethlehem governorate

Violation: Halt work order on land rehabilitation work.

Location: Janattah / Bethlehem.

Date: October 10 - 2018.

Perpetrator: The Israeli occupation civil administration u8nder the protection of the Israeli occupation army.

Victim: Villager Mohammad Sbeih.

The so-called Israel Civil Administration ordered on October 10, 2018 a halt on rehabilitation and reclamation activities in some agricultural lands in Janattah village, on the pretext of working without a proper license.

The targeted land belong to farmer Sbeih who said “The occupation forces showed up and confiscated a machinery used in reclaiming my land, and prohibited me from doing any additional work, I own this land, and the occupation doings won’t stop me from reclaiming it”

The following table provides information about the affected villager:

name

Number of family members

children

Area m2

Mohammad Sbeih

9

7

625

The occupation forces placed the military order under a rock in the land, and one of the neighbor farmers told the owner about it.

According to the military order, the affected were given a deadline until November 24, 2018 to complete all licensing procedures. This comes in time with the hearing session of the Planning and Construction Committee- Israel Civil Administration in the Israeli court of Beit El to consider the status of the notified structures..

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 the land reclamation works on the threatened land

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The military order

About Jannatah[1]

4.5 kilometer south Bethlahem, Jannatah is surrounded by Khallet Hamad and Hindaza (north) Khallet al Haddad (west), Al-Fraidis and Jubbet adh Dhib (east), and Nokdim and Al Davidn settlements (south).

Jannatah has a total population of 7336 people according to statistics conducted in 2017. It has a total area of 11887 of which 90 dunums are a built-up area of the village.

The Israeli occupation devoured 281 dunums of the lands of the village for two colonies. The first one is "El David – Kfar Eldad which was built in 1999 and confiscated 163 dunums of the village. The second is "Nokdim" which was built in 1982 and devoured 118 dunums. It is inhabited by 646 colonists.

According to Oslo Accords, 10% of Jannatah is under Area A , 28 % is under area B . However, most of the village lands (52 %) is under Area C (Israel maintains full security and administrative control).10 % is a natural reserved area. Here are the area in dunums:

Area A (1233) dunums.

Area B (3312) dunums.

Area C (6212) dunums.

Natural reserve (1130) dunums.

The process of devouring and confiscating Palestinian lands is a serious violation for international conventions and accords that have to do with lands and natural resources, Article (1) part (2) of The international covenant on civil and political rights:

" All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence."

Article 17 of international declaration of human rights 1948:

  • Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
  • No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property


[1] GIS-LRC

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The contents of this document is the sole responsibility of LRC and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union