Violation: Confiscation of thousands of dunams and converting them into state land.

Location: Central Jordan Valley.

Date of Violation: July 2024.

The aggressor: The so-called Israeli Civil Administration.

Affected Parties: Several farmers in Aqaba and Jericho.

At the end of June 2024, "Yossi Segal," the so-called custodian of government and abandoned properties in the "Israeli Civil Administration," issued a military order under which 12,715 dunams of land in the central Jordan Valley were confiscated and converted into what is called state property.

The military order was titled "Order Regarding State Property (Judea and Samaria) (No. 59), 5777-1967." According to the Israeli military order, the targeted lands are located in the natural basin No. 13, Jabal Al-Qareen area, and natural basin No. 14, Jabal Al-Qareen area, Al-Masara, Omra, and Al-Sheqa, in the settlement basin No. 24131 of Aqaba village in Nablus Governorate, with the targeted area in the military order being 12,715 dunams.

Confiscation order for 12,715 dunams

The new Israeli military order comes as a continuation of a previous Israeli military order issued on March 24, 2024 (about four months ago), targeting the same Jordan Valley area, where 8,159.8 dunams of Palestinian land were declared state property. In total, the Israeli occupation authorities have taken control of more than 21,000 dunams in the same area under the pretext of state property, which is the largest of its kind since 1967 in the Palestinian Jordan Valley areas.

Photos 4+5: Declaration of confiscation of 8,159 dunams.

The ownership of the affected lands belongs to several families in the town of Aqaba, including: Dirieh, Mayadmeh, Bani Jaber, Bani Omneh, and Bani Fadel.

Practically, the targeted area is considered an important pastoral area, where, until the period before the Gaza war, the area was home to many Bedouin pastoral communities, which were effectively displaced under the threat of weapons by settlers. The occupation then completes the same role by declaring the entire area state lands, thereby Judaizing a large part of the lands considered vital and important, which are strategic areas connecting the northern and central Jordan Valley and are important sites for the farmers themselves.

It is noteworthy that the targeted area is surrounded by several Israeli settlements, including "Gittit" and "Ma'ale Efrayim" to the west and southwest, and "Beit Sa'el" and "Yafit" to the south and southeast. Additionally, the northern part of the area targeted by the military order is classified by the Israeli occupation authorities as "firing zone No. 904."

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