Violation: Taking control of lands to establish a fence around the colonial outpost.
Location: Iskaka village / Salfit Governorate.
Date of violation: 17/07/2024.
Perpetrating party: Israeli occupation army.
Affected party: The residents of Iskaka village.

Description:

In July 2024, the so-called commander of the Israeli occupation army, “alof ballot”, issued a new military order to seize and appropriate (7.9) dunams of land from the village of Iskaka, located north of the city of Salfit.

According to the details in the notice, titled "Order for Land Appropriation No. 24/45/T," the confiscation targets lands within Basin No. 3, in the area known as Qaniya. The stated purpose of the seizure is to construct a fence around the settlement outpost " Nofe Nahamya," which is built on parts of the village's lands.

The targeted lands are owned by The heirs of Abdel Qader Ahmad Harb, The heirs of Abdel Rahim Ahmad Harb, Nazmi Mohammad Hamid Harb and Mohsen Abdel Qader Harb.

It is worth noting that the settlement outpost “Nofe Nahamya” was first established in 2003. At that time, a group of extremist settlers from the “Rehelim” settlement, built on lands belonging to the villages of Yatma and Yasuf, seized a piece of land claimed by the occupation to be "state land." The settlers initially set up several tents in the area, marking the beginning of a series of escalating attacks on farmers in the region.

Over time, the situation evolved with the addition of mobile homes, leading to the establishment of a new settlement outpost. In 2009, the occupation began constructing a colonial road to serve the outpost.

Today, amid global distraction from events in the occupied territories and under an ideologically extreme government, settlers are working to legitimize settlement activities in the West Bank. This includes expanding the outpost and developing its infrastructure, aiming to transform it into a more permanent settlement.

This expansion contributes to the broader scheme of land Judaization in the Salfit Governorate, which now includes 23 Israeli settlements compared to 18 Palestinian communities in the area.

Introduction to Iskaka Village

Iskaka is located 6 km northeast of the city of Salfit and is bordered by Jama’in village to the north Salfit city to the west (where the settlement of "Ariel" is established on its lands) the settlement of "Shefut Rahel" to the east and Amuriya village to the south

The population of the village was 1198 as of 2017 and its total area is 5474 dunams of which 217 dunams are designated as the built-up area of the village

The "Ariel" settlement which was established in 1978 confiscated 198 dunams of the village’s lands and is home to approximately 16053 settlers

Bypass roads have also seized over 40 dunams of the village’s lands

According to the Oslo Accords, the lands of the village are classified into Areas B and C. Area B constitutes 27% of the total area, while Area C, which is under full Israeli control, makes up the majority at 73%. Below is the breakdown of the areas in dunams:

• Area B: 1,491 dunams.
• Area C: 3,983 dunams.
• مشروع: حماية الحقوق البيئية الفلسطينية في مناطق "ج" SPERAC IV - GFFO

  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