المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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By: Madeeha Araj,
The National Bureau welcomed the UN Human Rights Councils’ adoption of the resolutions regarding the Palestinian State, which was recently held in Geneva, of which “the Israeli settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” including East Jerusalem, the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, human rights in the Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem, and guarantee of accountability in all violations of the international law in the Palestinian territory including Jerusalem, adding that overwhelming majority of Member States’ adoption of the resolutions was a proof of the international rejection of the occupation, its consequences and the rejection of Israeli policies that serve to fix the occupation. Moreover, the National Bureau calls for ending the occupation and hold it responsible for its ongoing crimes, considering the decisions as a response for the accelerated pace of the settlement campaign led by the Israeli occupation government, which seeks to confiscate more Palestinian land and to expand the settlements.
In his report to the UN Security Council, the UNs envoy to the Middle East, Nikolai Mladenov said that Israel ignored the request of the Council to stop the construction of settlements, adding that the resolution calls on Israel to stop all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. Mladenov also noted that the settlement expansion undermines the two- state solution, and the Security Council Resolution 2334, adding that the international community won’t recognize any changes of June 4th, 1967.
The occupation Municipality in Jerusalem has accelerated the implementation of the tunnel project at the French Hill, whose budget has recently been approved by the Municipal Finance Committee. This project will greatly facilitate transportation between Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem. At the same time, Israel is accelerating the demolition of the Bedouin village of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar, which considered as a symbol of the Bedouin communities in the area. The so-called head of the Civil Administration in the Israeli army recently distributed demolition orders to the village’s houses, close to road no. 1near Ma’ali Adumim. Furthermore, Israeli PM Netanyahu intends to transfer NIS 27,000,000 to 22 settlements in the occupied West Bank as they face financial problems.
For its part, the Peace Movement said that the sharp increase in settlement construction sends a clear message to the Palestinians and the International Community that Israel is not interested in a two-state solution, and that since Netanyahu took office in 2009, more than 14,000 housing units have been built in settlements, added that in the last year only, about 2,600 housing units have been built with an increase of 40% of the previous years. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, during the year 2016, 2,630 housing units were built in the settlements in the West Bank, an increase by 40% (39.6%) if compared by 2015.
For his part, and before leaving the China, Netanyahu said that “I didn’t discuss the issue of building in Jerusalem, and I’m not going to discuss it in the future and this is out of the formula. I’m ready to discuss building settlement and to find a form for building in Judea and Samaria.”
Accordingly, the National Bureau considered any US – Israeli understandings legitimize the existing settlements, and the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. Thus, the National Bureau calls on the international community and the Security Council to take practical steps against settlement and occupation.
Over the last week, the following violations were documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- The occupation municipality in Jerusalem announced that it will carry out what it called the infrastructure development work on the public transport route in the Qalandia checkpoint area, where new roads, tunnels, bridges and roads will be added next April and will continue until Dec. 2019.
- A Palestinian Jerusalemite, Firas Salah Mah’d was forced to demolish his 140-sq.m house in the Al-Esawiya town under the pretext of building without a permit, otherwise he will pay a huge sum of money as a fine to the occupation municipality.
- Israeli occupation bulldozed a building in the Jabal Al-Mukaber village, southeast of Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a permit.
- Settlers threaten the young Jerusalemite, Mosa Khalid Al-Ouyawi, 22, and expose his life to death.
- Students for the Temple” seeks to strengthen the Jewish presence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque by organizing puberty ceremonies not only at the Al-Buraq Wall but also at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
- The Israeli Students for the Temple Organization seeks to strengthen the Jewish presence at the Aqsa Mosque by organizing puberty ceremonies not only near the Al-Buraq Wall but also in the Aqsa Mosque.
Hebron:
- Settlers attack Palestinian farmers in the Twani village, Hebron, while in their lands with the aim of expelling them from there and confiscating their properties and steal their lands in order to expand the settlement of Havat Ma’on.
- Settlers of Kiryat Arba destroy the glass of a vehicle belonging to citizen. Aref Jaber.
- Handing over a notification to the citizen, Hani Salim Jaber to stop construction of his 130 sq.m house under the pretext of being built in the C area. Another notification has been handed over to the citizen, Moh’d Abdul Nasser Juma to demolish his 200-sq.m house. His father also handed over another order to stop work on his 100-sq.m. house. Although his father filed a complaint at the Israeli court against the order despite the fact that the occupation authorities has given him only 6 days before the demolition.
Bethlehem:
- The Israeli occupation forces uprooted a number of trees planted by the employees of the Environmental Quality Authority, the Environmental Organizations Network and the Refugee Centre in the Aida Refugee camp north of Bethlehem on the occasion of the National Day of the Palestinian Environment.
Nablus:
- An Israeli settler ran over an old lady Haja, Hilwa Abu Ras, 70 from the Sawiya village south of Nablus, and ran away towards the Za’tara checkpoint. Hilwa was crossing the main road near her village.
- Israeli settlers attacked a number of farmers near the Burin village south of Nablus, as they were ploughing their land near the settlement of Yitzhar, among the wounded was Mosheir Qadous.
Qalqiliya:
- Military orders to confiscate 169 donums of Jayyous and Falamiah villages, located behind the Apartheid Wall.
Salfit:
- Bulldozing of Palestinian farmers’ lands near the settlement of Leishm, built on the lands of Deir Balut, Kafr El-Deek, Rafat villages and Al-Zawia town. Farmers from these villages and towns called on the concerned authorities to help them finish the pigs phenomena in the area as occupation settlers are letting them.
- A Hebrew sign was placed at the antiques and ruins of the Haris town, as the Israeli considered it a research area belonging to the Ariel settlement’s university. There is an ancient antiquities in the area, carved beautifully into the rock in C Area.
- Yazid Darwish, Ibrahim Mustafa, Ashraf, Hassan Naji, Samia Bakr, Ritya Hassan Naji, Ahmed Bakr Ahmed and Raed Jamal Ahmed were arrested to stop construction in their homes on the grounds that they were located in Area C west of Kafr El Deek village in Salfit.
- Handling over notifications to, Yazid Darwish, Ibrahim Mustafa, Ashraf, Hassan Naji, Samia Bakr, Radiya Hassan Naji, Ahmed Bakr Ahmed and Raed Jamal Ahmed to stop construction in their homes under the pretext of being located in C Areas, west of Kafr El-Deek village near Salfit.
Jenin:
- bulldozing land was in the Al-Arqa village west of Jenin, with the aim of building and expanding factories in the settlement of Shakid, built the Ya’bad town’s land and the Al-Arqa village. Mayor of the town, Ibrahim Yahia said that the Israeli bulldozers continued to level scores of donums that were seized from the villagers to build roads and expand an industrial zone in the Shaked settlement.
Jericho:
- The so-called Israeli Civil Administration issues a decision to stop work on the project of generating clean energy by solar cells to operate a desalination plant in the village of Marj Na’ja, north of Jericho under under the pretext of being located on C area.
Jordan Valley:
- Israeli occupation forces seize an agricultural tractor belonging to Nimr Haroub, and a car belonging to Hayel Turkman. They also demolished 2 agricultural barracks in Al-Zbaydat village belonging to Salama Ahmed Al Zubaidat and Ahmad Odeh Al Zubaidat.
