Violation: establishing a new colonial outpost.

Location: Turmus’ayya/  Ramallah Governorate.

Date of violation: 16/06/2024.

The aggressor: the colonists.

The affected party: the people of the town of Turmus’ayya.

Description:

This morning, Sunday, June 16, 2024, a group of settlers established a new colonial outpost on confiscated lands in the Al-Dhahrat area, north of Turmus’ayya.. The new settlement outpost consists of three mobile housing units located on lands owned by Palestinian families, the Shalabi and Hizma families, within the territory of Area B, which is under full Palestinian control under the Oslo Accords.

 View of the new colonial site

Mr. Lafi Adeeb Shalabi, Mayor of Turmus Aya, told a researcher at the Land Research Center:

“We were surprised by the settlers’ erection of three tents on a hill in the Al-Dhahrat area, which was previously designated for residential development. However, due to the settlers’ attacks, the project stopped three years ago, and the lands that the settlers seized belong to them.” To farmers from the town, and we are now preparing to file a criminal complaint against the settlers with the occupation police and the Supreme Court.

The settlement outpost occupies about two dunams, but it actually controls more than 150 dunams, as all the lands surrounding it fell under the control of the colonists. Farmers trying to access their lands for farming are harassed and threatened by the colonizers, which discourages them from preserving their property. This outpost poses a particular problem because it is located in an area known for olive cultivation, and overlooks the Turmus’ayya plain, which increases the difficulties for farmers in this plain and other neighboring areas targeted by the occupation and its colonizers.

About Turmus’ayya.:

Turmus’ayyais located 25 km northeast of Ramallah, and has a population of approximately 3,736 people as of 2007. The town consists mainly of the Awwad and Jabara families, along with smaller families of refugee origin such as Shalabi, Kok, and Hazmawi. The total area of Turmus Aya is 18,139 dunums, of which 1,350 dunums are building area. The lands are classified into Area (B) (11,218 dunums) and Area (C) (6,921 dunums). The occupation seized large areas for settlement purposes:

• The Israeli settlements confiscated a total of 1,023 dunums of village land for the benefit of the following parties:
• Shilo Settlement: It was established in 1978, its lands included 706 dunams, and it was inhabited by 1,810 settlers.
• Mitzpe Rachel settlement: Established in 1992, 317 dunums of it were confiscated.
• The occupation also built part of Bypass Road No. 60 on its lands, and confiscated 12.5 dunums.

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