19 sept 2019
The Israeli occupation army on Thursday morning cut off water supply to the Palestinian village of Bardala in the northern Jordan Valley.
Local official Derar Sawafta said that Israeli soldiers stormed the village and sealed up water holes that feed the local residents of the village with water, without stating the reason for such action.
The Israeli army had cut off water supply to the village many times before in an attempt to force the local residents to leave the area.
Local official Derar Sawafta said that Israeli soldiers stormed the village and sealed up water holes that feed the local residents of the village with water, without stating the reason for such action.
The Israeli army had cut off water supply to the village many times before in an attempt to force the local residents to leave the area.
12 sept 2019
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The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Thursday morning uprooted dozens of olive trees and demolished water wells in Umm al-Kobaish area, east of Tammun town, south of Tubas.
Local official Mutaaz Bisharat said that Israeli troops uprooted 300 olive trees and destroyed five wells used to gather water. Bisharat added that the olive trees and wells belonged to Palestinian farmers living in the area. The area has been exposed recently to frequent demolitions by the IOF. On June 11, dozens of olive trees and two wells were destroyed by Israeli army bulldozers. |
Israeli Soldiers Bulldoze Large Areas Of Palestinian Lands Near Tubas
Dozens of Israeli soldiers, accompanied by bulldozers, invaded large areas of Palestinian agricultural lands, on Thursday morning, and started uprooting them.
Abdullah Bisharat, the head of Atouf Village Council, said the soldiers invaded lands in Um Kbeish area, in the western part of the village, and started bulldozing and uprooting hundreds of dunams of Palestinian farmlands.
He added that the bulldozers are cutting and uprooting dozens of trees and other plants in the farmlands, without a prior notice or any justification.
The targeted Palestinian agricultural lands are thousands of Dunams, planted with various sorts of trees and plants, and are owned by Palestinians living in that area.
Bisharat also stated that the Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seems to have already started the annexation of the Jordan Valley and the Northern Plains, following statements in this regard as part of his election campaign to win the votes of illegal colonialist settlers, living in the occupied West Bank.
Dozens of Israeli soldiers, accompanied by bulldozers, invaded large areas of Palestinian agricultural lands, on Thursday morning, and started uprooting them.
Abdullah Bisharat, the head of Atouf Village Council, said the soldiers invaded lands in Um Kbeish area, in the western part of the village, and started bulldozing and uprooting hundreds of dunams of Palestinian farmlands.
He added that the bulldozers are cutting and uprooting dozens of trees and other plants in the farmlands, without a prior notice or any justification.
The targeted Palestinian agricultural lands are thousands of Dunams, planted with various sorts of trees and plants, and are owned by Palestinians living in that area.
Bisharat also stated that the Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seems to have already started the annexation of the Jordan Valley and the Northern Plains, following statements in this regard as part of his election campaign to win the votes of illegal colonialist settlers, living in the occupied West Bank.
11 sept 2019
Israeli soldiers invaded, Wednesday, Maser Yatta area, south of Hebron city in the southern part of the occupied Wet Bank, before demolishing several residential sheds and tents, and abducted two Palestinians.
Rateb Jabour, the coordinator of the National and Popular Committee against the Annexation Wall and Colonies, said the soldiers demolished a tent and a shed, owned by Maher al-Hamamda, in the al-Maqfara area.
Jabour added that the soldiers also demolished one residential shed, owned by Mahmoud Hussein Hamamda, in the same area.
In addition, the soldiers confiscated a car, owned by Masafer Yatta Village Council, in addition to destroying a water network extending from the Tiwani village to Masafer Yatta.
The soldiers also destroyed solar panels in the Zakeer area, and two residential room in Khallet ad-Dabe’ area.
Furthermore, the soldiers abducted the head of the Tiwani Village Council, Mohammad Rib’ey, in addition to Bakr Fadel Rib’ey.
It is worth mentioning that the soldiers also invaded many communities, south of Hebron, searched homes, tents and cave, in areas between the illegal Ma’on and Avigal colonies.
Rateb Jabour, the coordinator of the National and Popular Committee against the Annexation Wall and Colonies, said the soldiers demolished a tent and a shed, owned by Maher al-Hamamda, in the al-Maqfara area.
Jabour added that the soldiers also demolished one residential shed, owned by Mahmoud Hussein Hamamda, in the same area.
In addition, the soldiers confiscated a car, owned by Masafer Yatta Village Council, in addition to destroying a water network extending from the Tiwani village to Masafer Yatta.
The soldiers also destroyed solar panels in the Zakeer area, and two residential room in Khallet ad-Dabe’ area.
Furthermore, the soldiers abducted the head of the Tiwani Village Council, Mohammad Rib’ey, in addition to Bakr Fadel Rib’ey.
It is worth mentioning that the soldiers also invaded many communities, south of Hebron, searched homes, tents and cave, in areas between the illegal Ma’on and Avigal colonies.
2 sept 2019
The Israeli military authorities demolished today a mosque and a house in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, according to local sources.
Israeli army units used a bulldozer to destroy al-Ummah mosque in Jabal Jouhar south of Hebron city. video
The demolition included a water well used by the mosque, reported the head of the Hebron Waqf department Jamal Abu Arram, who said that the demolition came as a surprise to them and without a prior warning.
Waqf officials described the demolition of the mosque as an aggression against Muslim holy places and a provocation, as well as a crime against the right of Muslims to worship.
The army demolished as well a house that was still under construction in the same area.
The demolitions took place in Area C, which is under full Israeli military rule and where Palestinians say construction with a permit is impossible to get since Israel does not allow Palestinian development in Area C that makes up over 60 percent of the area of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli army units used a bulldozer to destroy al-Ummah mosque in Jabal Jouhar south of Hebron city. video
The demolition included a water well used by the mosque, reported the head of the Hebron Waqf department Jamal Abu Arram, who said that the demolition came as a surprise to them and without a prior warning.
Waqf officials described the demolition of the mosque as an aggression against Muslim holy places and a provocation, as well as a crime against the right of Muslims to worship.
The army demolished as well a house that was still under construction in the same area.
The demolitions took place in Area C, which is under full Israeli military rule and where Palestinians say construction with a permit is impossible to get since Israel does not allow Palestinian development in Area C that makes up over 60 percent of the area of the occupied West Bank.
18 aug 2019
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Sunday morning destroyed a large water tank used for agricultural purposes in the northern Jordan Valley.
Local official Mu’taaz Bisharat said that the IOF demolished a sizeable water tank, which was used by Palestinian villagers for the irrigation of agricultural lands near the village of Bardala.
Although it was licensed, the Israeli army claimed the tank was built without its permission, a pretext used for years to prevent Palestinian development in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Jordan Valley.
Local official Mu’taaz Bisharat said that the IOF demolished a sizeable water tank, which was used by Palestinian villagers for the irrigation of agricultural lands near the village of Bardala.
Although it was licensed, the Israeli army claimed the tank was built without its permission, a pretext used for years to prevent Palestinian development in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Jordan Valley.
16 aug 2019
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This is the third of a series of reports documenting the control and devastation of water sources by Israel as a tool of oppression.
The residents of Kafr Malik, a town northeast of Ramallah, marched towards the Ain Samia area today to protest Israel’s theft of the village’s water supply, which has been diverted to a new illegal settlement. Protesters told ISM that 20 hectares of land had also been stolen from the village, where almost 3,000 Palestinians live, and handed to just five settler families. Hundreds attended the march and prayer – organised jointly by Fatah and the National and Islamic Parties – including the head of the Roman Catholic monastery in Palestine Abdullah Yolio. The peaceful protest was immediately bombarded with rounds of tear gas |
(seen in video) fired by occupation forces as well as hundreds of rubber-coated steel bullets and sound bombs.
Israeli soldiers also tried to confiscate Palestinian flags from protesters and targeted journalists, interrupting their filming and forcing them to move if they refused to comply with what appeared to be entirely arbitrary orders. The Red Crescent treated several people for tear gas inhalation including an ISMer who had to be carried to an ambulance.
He said that Israeli soldiers: “…came up the hill behind us, and fired directly at journalists filming on the hill above the protest.” The ISMer did not suffer any serious injuries.
Being cut off from the local water supply has severe implications for local Palestinian communities and is used as a means of oppression across the West Bank, from the Jordan Valley to the South Hebron Hills.
The cutting of Palestinian water resources is not just a matter of preferential treatment, or discrimination. It is an active effort to force Palestinians out of their homes by applying psychological and economic pressure to the communities there.
The cumulative effect of settler attacks and vandalism, military harassment, and economic deprivation are all part of an attempt to break the Palestinian resistance movement. The aim is to force people into being too preoccupied with constant fears, as well as by making day to day existence so difficult, that they cease to resist.
There is no reason why people should be denied the basic human rights and means to live, and this is made all the worse when the means to do so are within reach, and are taken away from them. Control of water by the Israeli apartheid state is an essential aspect of oppression of Palestinians, and is one of the most pressing issues in Palestinians regaining their rights and autonomy.
Israeli soldiers also tried to confiscate Palestinian flags from protesters and targeted journalists, interrupting their filming and forcing them to move if they refused to comply with what appeared to be entirely arbitrary orders. The Red Crescent treated several people for tear gas inhalation including an ISMer who had to be carried to an ambulance.
He said that Israeli soldiers: “…came up the hill behind us, and fired directly at journalists filming on the hill above the protest.” The ISMer did not suffer any serious injuries.
Being cut off from the local water supply has severe implications for local Palestinian communities and is used as a means of oppression across the West Bank, from the Jordan Valley to the South Hebron Hills.
The cutting of Palestinian water resources is not just a matter of preferential treatment, or discrimination. It is an active effort to force Palestinians out of their homes by applying psychological and economic pressure to the communities there.
The cumulative effect of settler attacks and vandalism, military harassment, and economic deprivation are all part of an attempt to break the Palestinian resistance movement. The aim is to force people into being too preoccupied with constant fears, as well as by making day to day existence so difficult, that they cease to resist.
There is no reason why people should be denied the basic human rights and means to live, and this is made all the worse when the means to do so are within reach, and are taken away from them. Control of water by the Israeli apartheid state is an essential aspect of oppression of Palestinians, and is one of the most pressing issues in Palestinians regaining their rights and autonomy.
7 aug 2019
The Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday destroyed a water line and seized an irrigation network serving the Palestinian residents of Ein al-Bida village in the northern Jordan Valley.
Activist Mu'taz Bsharat said that the Israeli forces destroyed a 150-meter water line owned by the Palestinian citizen Wael Fuqaha.
Bsharat added that the Israeli forces further seized a 50-dunum irrigation network owned by Nahel Fuqaha, Wael's brother.
Activist Mu'taz Bsharat said that the Israeli forces destroyed a 150-meter water line owned by the Palestinian citizen Wael Fuqaha.
Bsharat added that the Israeli forces further seized a 50-dunum irrigation network owned by Nahel Fuqaha, Wael's brother.
"The agricultural sector in the northern Jordan Valley is expected to collapse as a result of the recent measures taken by Israel regarding water distribution in the area. Palestine's rich "food basket" is heading towards an unknown future."
With these words Mohammed Sawafta, a Palestinian farmer from the northern Jordan Valley town of Bardala, began talking about Israel's new decision to deny the Palestinians access to water. The move will take effect after two months.
The decision was made after the Israeli-controlled water networks in the Jordan Valley have been completely changed.
Sawafta told the PIC reporter, "In Bardala, Karda, Ein al-Baida, and al-Maleh, there are about 8,000 dunums of land planted with crops that require irrigation throughout the year. These crops are an important part of the northern West Bank supply of vegetables which depends on water provided by the Israeli company of Mekorot since the 1970s."
"Years after Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, it prevented the Jordan Valley Palestinians from using the water of the artesian wells which were dug during the Jordanian annexation of the West Bank for agriculture," he said, "In exchange, the Palestinians were promised to be provided with the needed quantities of water through Mekorot company."
Sawafta added, "Months ago, the Israeli occupation authorities changed all water networks in the area and added sensors and other control devices. They told us that they will stop providing us with water after two months, which of course means a complete cessation of the agricultural activity and an economic disaster."
Lack of support
Farmer Naser Daraghmeh told the PIC reporter, "We are facing all this alone. Nobody supports us, and the [Palestinian] government and water authority are only good at giving promises."
"We are trying to overcome the Israeli occupation's measures by digging wells on our own. A few days ago, the occupation forces stormed the area and confiscated equipment that we were using to dig a new well. We only want the government to support us when our equipment is confiscated so that we can continue digging wells and providing alternative water resources," Daraghmeh said.
Activist Feras Badran said that the problem is not limited to agriculture. Livestock is also threatened by the Israeli measures; livestock breeders have to buy water tanks to provide water to their animals, which costs them 20-30 NIS per one (nearly $7). "Insane prices," he stressed.
"Livestock breeders rely on cheese and dairy sales to cover the costs of food and water for their livestock. The prices are already low, and when this coincides with unreasonable prices for water supply, livestock breeding becomes useless. This requires supportive agricultural policies in the Jordan Valley with a different style," Badran added.
Complete control over water
Aref Daraghmeh, Palestinian expert, said that the process of controlling Palestinian water resources began decades ago when the Israeli authorities blocked water springs in the area and diverted their streams to flow into Israeli-dug groundwater wells.
Based on official statistics, he noted, the Israeli occupation authorities consume about 80% of the water basins shared with the Palestinians, while 80-95% of the feeding areas of these basins are located in the Palestinian territories.
Daraghmeh stressed that Israel's theft of the Palestinian water is the result of an occupation rejected by international norms and laws and condemned by the UN resolutions and international legitimacy.
The Jordan Valley is located over one of the main water basins in Palestine, but the irony is that the basin is forbidden to the indigenous people. Most of the population gets water by transporting it through tanks from far away, which depletes their financial capabilities in the war of survival that has been imposed on them.
With these words Mohammed Sawafta, a Palestinian farmer from the northern Jordan Valley town of Bardala, began talking about Israel's new decision to deny the Palestinians access to water. The move will take effect after two months.
The decision was made after the Israeli-controlled water networks in the Jordan Valley have been completely changed.
Sawafta told the PIC reporter, "In Bardala, Karda, Ein al-Baida, and al-Maleh, there are about 8,000 dunums of land planted with crops that require irrigation throughout the year. These crops are an important part of the northern West Bank supply of vegetables which depends on water provided by the Israeli company of Mekorot since the 1970s."
"Years after Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, it prevented the Jordan Valley Palestinians from using the water of the artesian wells which were dug during the Jordanian annexation of the West Bank for agriculture," he said, "In exchange, the Palestinians were promised to be provided with the needed quantities of water through Mekorot company."
Sawafta added, "Months ago, the Israeli occupation authorities changed all water networks in the area and added sensors and other control devices. They told us that they will stop providing us with water after two months, which of course means a complete cessation of the agricultural activity and an economic disaster."
Lack of support
Farmer Naser Daraghmeh told the PIC reporter, "We are facing all this alone. Nobody supports us, and the [Palestinian] government and water authority are only good at giving promises."
"We are trying to overcome the Israeli occupation's measures by digging wells on our own. A few days ago, the occupation forces stormed the area and confiscated equipment that we were using to dig a new well. We only want the government to support us when our equipment is confiscated so that we can continue digging wells and providing alternative water resources," Daraghmeh said.
Activist Feras Badran said that the problem is not limited to agriculture. Livestock is also threatened by the Israeli measures; livestock breeders have to buy water tanks to provide water to their animals, which costs them 20-30 NIS per one (nearly $7). "Insane prices," he stressed.
"Livestock breeders rely on cheese and dairy sales to cover the costs of food and water for their livestock. The prices are already low, and when this coincides with unreasonable prices for water supply, livestock breeding becomes useless. This requires supportive agricultural policies in the Jordan Valley with a different style," Badran added.
Complete control over water
Aref Daraghmeh, Palestinian expert, said that the process of controlling Palestinian water resources began decades ago when the Israeli authorities blocked water springs in the area and diverted their streams to flow into Israeli-dug groundwater wells.
Based on official statistics, he noted, the Israeli occupation authorities consume about 80% of the water basins shared with the Palestinians, while 80-95% of the feeding areas of these basins are located in the Palestinian territories.
Daraghmeh stressed that Israel's theft of the Palestinian water is the result of an occupation rejected by international norms and laws and condemned by the UN resolutions and international legitimacy.
The Jordan Valley is located over one of the main water basins in Palestine, but the irony is that the basin is forbidden to the indigenous people. Most of the population gets water by transporting it through tanks from far away, which depletes their financial capabilities in the war of survival that has been imposed on them.
