Violation: Colonists violate As-Sakut spring area.

Location: As-Sakut in the northern Jordan Valley / Tubas governorate.

Date:December  17^th 2020.

Perpetrator: A group of illegal colonists.

Victims: Farmers from As-Sakut area.

Description:

 Tuesday, December 17^th 2020, a group of colonists set up a metal siege and a gate around As-Sakut spring nearby the Palestinian- Jordanian borders.

Noteworthy, this is a dangerous indicator and a breach of the Israeli Supreme court resolutions that allow Palestinians to access As-Sakut area as legitimate land owners of As-Sakut spring and plain lands.

 Apparently, illegal Israeli colonists are trying to impose their control over As-Sakut agricultural lands.

 Photos 1-3: The siege around the spring

Ahmad Asa’d from Tubas governor’s office told LRC field researcher:

“Illegal colonists were seen imposing control through setting up a siege around vast areas of lands in Wad Al-Faw and Khirbet Al-Mazokah and even Ein Hilweh in the Jordan Valley , which means the closure of hundreds dunums of postures at the area , and now colonists are setting up a siege around As-Sakut spring area  which will have a devastating impact on farmlands and farmers”

Through such measurements the occupation is carrying out a silent annexation of the Jordan valley , through allowing colonists to illegally take over land , then after only few years giving them legitimacy.

Before 1967, As-Sakut was full of farmers producing a variety of agricultural products and was a destination for agricultural investments. After 1967 , the occupation Authorities took over it and planted it with landmines as the area is at the borders of Jordan . However, In 2011 the landmines were dismantled, which was followed by a scheme to take over fertile lands at the location (3500 dunums) originally belong to Palestinians, the scheme failed after owners filed a petition to the supreme court in 2012, and where able to regain their right to the land and returning it to its original owners in 2014, but illegal colonists are still trying day and night to illegally seize the land to use it in future colonial projects.

The Israeli Occupation is violating many international resolutions and agreements such as:

 Article 147 of Geneva fourth convention: extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. ( it is considered a serious violation of the convention)

Security council resolution 446 year 1979:   Determines that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

2. 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.