Hebron and South West Bank Region
1st of January
Near the village of Nahhaleen an Israeli Army Officer issued order n. 29-08-T for the confiscation of an area of 10 dunam. The land will be used to create a connection between the settlements of Beitar 'Ilit and Gav'ot, in the area of Kfar Etzion Settlement Bloc. According to local sources the road will cut the area of Nahhaleen village into two parts, so the farmers will need special permission to go to work on their lands on the other side of the road. Research done on the maps made by ARIJ show that the number of dunam involved in the road project will be more than 10, that is 18. These actions will isolate 4,400 dunam of the village. (source: al-Yyam newspaper, 14 January)
9 February
Near Husan village (West of Bethlehem), Ali Mahfoouz Hamamreh, 15 years old, was injured in the right leg. A settler shot at him while he was walking on the road between his village and the settlement of Beitar 'Ilit. The child was taken to Beit Jala Hospital, where his medical conditions were defined "difficult." The AIC met the family of the child, which stated that the settlers often attack people walking on that road and the habitations of the area. The most typical attacks are firing guns and throwing of stones against homes and people.
In the village of al- Khader, dozens of settlers from Efrat (South of Bethlehem) moved with mobile homes and built to the West- South of the settlement, on a land that belong to Palestinian farmers. The action has made in the framework a series of attacks perpetrated in order to frighten Palestinians and confiscate more land. Ramzee Salah, the major of al-Khader village, claimed: "Our village is one of the more affected by the land confiscation for the settlement project. Since 1967 more than 19,000 dunam were confiscated. Al-Khader is completely surrounded by settlements and bypass roads. The village's development and expanding is limited by the nearness of the settlement."
15 February
In Beit El, the Israeli Court and the Civil Administration decided to confiscate 1,770 dunam to the West of Efrat settlement (south of Bethlehem): the land will be declared "state land." The order of confiscation was issued one year ago and the nine Palestinian families of the village of al-Khader who were affected appealed to the Court. Only one appeal was accepted, while eight were rejected. According to the Israeli plan 2,500 house units will be built on the land in order to expand the settlement of Efrat. It is probable that the decision of the Israeli Court is a consequence of the Israeli elections, where the right parties won, with a strong program for the settlement project in the Occupied Territories. (see more at the Alternativ Information Center website, here.
18 February
In the area at south-east of Yatta, settlers from the settlement of Carmiel started to build a new road. Jaber Abu Humaid, chairman of the village of Omm Saffa, has claimed: "The building of a new road means that approximately 700 dunam will be de facto confiscated, otherwise they will be inside the road. Tens of families will lose their land, where they have cultivated and where their goats pasture. For example, my family own 80 dunam in that place and we couldn't reach our land. Furthermore, in the area there used to be a lot of wells, very important for the farmer, in order to slake the thirst of the goats and the sheep."
Last week of February
The Israeli military, which have day to day control the area of Oush Grab verbally ordered to the Palestinian Municipality to close the area. The local workers that are developing the picnic area have been forbidden to go to the place and to continue their activities. The park area is part of a project of the Municipality of Beit Sahour and USAID and is placed near a former Israeli Military Base. The Municipality was negotiating in order to build a Cancer Hospital for Children. Since May 2008 the settlers of the area of Bethlehem, leaded by Women in Green are coming weekly with the clear aim of taking over the area.
Nablus and north of West Bank Region
9 January
In Qarqyout village (East of Nablus) Id Fawzee Mousa, 15 years old, was injured in his right leg. Five settlers opened fire with their rifles on the south area of the village. The child was brought to the Hospital of Ramallah. The accident happened after some clashes between settlers and students in the main road of the village.
13 January
Between Nablus and Qualqelyia, Nasser Mustafa Daoud Odeh, 16 years old, was killed by a settler. The teen, from the village of Azzon in Qalqelyia District, was shot by a settler from the settlement of Imanual, in the North of West Bank. Israeli police, through the voice of its spokesman Mayki Rozenfiled, claimed to France Press: "The settler opened fire when his car was targeted by stones. After the murder the police stopped the man for the investigation."
18 February
On the road to Selet El Daher, in Jenin District, 20 settlers set up a check point. The settlers sequestered the car of Ibraheem Shalash Hammour, 58 years old, and they totally set it on fire near the ruins of the settlement of Homish that was dismantled two years ago. Salah said: "When I reached the checkpoint they forced me to leave the car, they took it away and I saw it burning. They threw stones on a lot of cars on the road." He also added: “The settlers beat me with sticks and stones after set the car on fire. There were some eyewitnesses that called the fire-brigades of Jenin. An Israeli Army jeep reached the place. The soldiers took a deposition of what happened. “The Palestinians P.R. spokesperson issued a statement about the fact.
23 February
Joseph Tomb, Balata village (east Nablus City). Dozens of settlers from many of the settlements in the area reached the religious site in order to pray, saying that it is a holy site for Jews. They arrived with the protection of the Israeli military, which set up many flying checkpoints, preventing the residents from moving by car in the area. The Israelis left the zone in 2001 and the area is under the control of the PA, according to the Oslo Agreements. In spite of this, the settlers occasionally com there for praying and they throw stones on the houses in Balata village. The PA complains, but nobody prevents the settlers from their actions.
Huwwara village (South of Nablus). Two young girls, Shada Mahmoud Khammous, 10 years old, and her sister Lam, were run over by a settler's car, near the Tamini gas station, on the main road of the village. The two injured were taken to the Ingiliakan Hospital in Nablus by a Red Crescent Ambulance. The settler, after the incident, ran away without rescuing the girls. Numerous similar cases happened on the same road, here the settlers often drive very fast ( see AIC’s monthly settler violence reports).
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