Israeli Violations in the time of Corona

Violation: Cutting down 36 olive saplings.

Location: Yatma village/ Nablus governorate.

Date: May 17^th 2020.

Perpetrator: Settlers of “Rehelim”.

Victims: Mohammed Bassim Mohammed Najjar.

Description:

Sunday morning May 17^th 2020, “Rehelim” settlers cut down 36 olive saplings in an olive grove belongs to farmer Mohammed Najjar - Yatma south Nablus .

Mohammed Najjar (35) told LRC:

“I found this morning tens of olive trees cut and sabotaged at my olive grove in Sbaih mount to the north of the village near by Allon Road.”

The perpetrators’ ideology is predictable, the price tag gang is known of this type of attacks, they tend to target olive trees for its status in the hearts of the Palestinian people.

This is not the first time Mohammed Najjar finds himself a victims of settlers’ violence; Rehalim settlers cut down trees in the same location in 2016.

Mohammed despite the hardship insists to cultivate and take care of his plot, which he believes it is his right granted by international conventions and agreements.

Sbaih mount has a strategic location between three villages (Bita , Yatma and Qablan), two years ago settlers set up several Shacks on it , people of the three villages demonstrated and the occupation forces had to remove them.

About Rahalim:[1]

The colony started in 1990 as a confiscated land for the favor of building a military base in Yatma. In 2000, the Israeli occupation allowed colonists to install 19 caravans in the area.

Today, and after 12 years, Rahalim colony became one of the most confiscating colonies where it took over 450 dunums from the villages of Iskaka, Yasuf and Yatma( Geographical Information System –LRC). In addition, the occupation has been planning on establishing new outposts to found the so-called grater Rahalim.

About Yatma village:[2]
14 Km south Nablus city , Yatma is surrounded by Bita (North), As-Sawiya and Yasuf (west), Qablan (east) and As-Sawiya village (south). Yatma has a total population of 2853 people according to 2007 censusÙˆ with a total area of 2952 dunums , of which 392 dunums are a built up area for the village.
Bypass roads devoured 164 dunums , as segments of bypasses 60 and 505 pass-through the village . Oslo accords divided the village’s lands as the following:
• B area : with a total area of 912 dunums (31%).
• C area: with a total area of 2040 dunums (69%).

[1] GIS-LRC

[2] GIS-LRC

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union

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