By: Madeeha Araj,
According to the new findings that tackled the Israeli housing banks, they showed that the Israeli banks have given loans to 26 random outposts under the direction of the Settlement Department, one of the settlement organizations of the Israeli government. One of those outposts is Amona, which were evacuated under the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision, and the re-housing of its settlers in a new settlement at a cost of NIS 40 million.
Early Oct 2018, the National Bureau issued a report on the extensive cooperation between the Israeli Judiciary and banks in service of the settlement project, in which noted that the seven major banks in Israel support the settlement and finance them, and make huge profits, The Department handed over the settlers “rights” in the Palestinian territories months after the Israeli authorities learned that these lands are owned by Palestinian people.
On the other hand, the Israeli government approved the expansion of bypass road 60, which connects the cities of Jerusalem and Hebron, the largest settlement projects on the settlement streets as it includes 4 tracks, which will lead to the theft of about seven thousand donums from the Khader, Beit Jala and Ma’asara in Bethlehem, Beit Ummar and Joura al-Shamaa in the north of Hebron, with a width of about 100 meters, allocating NIS 185 million for its expansion. While the Zionist occupation authorities seized about 47 dunums of land from Al-Ram town on both sides of the main street in the town with the aim of creating a street under which to expand the barrier on the same street. Mayor of Al-Ram, Ghazi Ghazzawneh said that the land extends from Abu Shalabak junction to Qalandia checkpoint.
Within the ongoing series of crimes against the Palestinian Bedouin communities, the Israeli occupation forces dismantled educational caravans belonging to the Marwan Majali’s school under the pretext that the school is located in an archaeological site.
In Jerusalem, settlement companies submitted a settlement plan to build a number of residential towers in the area of Palestinian homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, especially after the failure of settlement organizations to evict and displace 11 Jerusalemite families in the neighborhood long ago. The project was handed over to the so-called the Israeli Organizing Committees for approval attempting to force Palestinian citizens to evacuate their houses. Accordingly, 60 days have been given to them for submitting their objections. The settlement companies and associations have claimed land ownership of the houses in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood for more than 60 years. Knowing that the settlement associations seized many lands in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and established 25 settlement units on the lands of “Karam Mufti” as well as in the vicinity of the Cave of Sheikh Saadi.
In a provocative move, the Israeli occupation mayor, Nir Barkat arrived at the entrance to Shu’fat Refugee Camp accompanied by municipal employees, claiming to carry out the plan to expel the UNRWA office and end its work and seize its schools, which is considered the first step in the American – Israeli plan to liquidate the agency and remove the Palestinian Refugees’ issue.
In the south of Bethlehem Governorate, Israeli bulldozers protected by the Israeli occupation forces, razed areas in the area of Khallet al-Nahla in Wadi Rahal, near the area of Khalayl al-Luz in order to open a bypass road. Some 12 days ago, settlers began to alter land for settlement purposes.
In Hebron, the Israeli occupation forces swept 16 dunums of agricultural land, uprooted hundreds of trees and destroyed 3 water wells in the Jamrourah lands in Tarqumiya, west of Hebron. The lands that were razed belonged to a number of citizens, including Moh’d Kamel Ja’afra and Ali ‘Awad al-Fatafta. The Israeli occupation forces also swept 14 dunums of Beit Ka
Israel is currently preparing for elections for local authorities, including settlements in the West Bank. The atmosphere of the electoral campaign inside the occupying power has been reflected in the streets and roads of the occupied West Bank, which has become an area for election propaganda for settlers who are nominated for the election of the settlement councils in the West Bank, which has become full of electoral slogans calling for the development of settlements.
On the other hand, the National Office welcomed the position of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Michael Link, in which he stressed that the time has come for the international community to take strict measures to stop Israel’s annexation of large parts of the West Bank lands for expanding the settlements. The report of UN’S General Assembly assured that the construction and expansion of settlements including the recent legislative measures amounted to illegal annexation. He urged the international community to act, noting that despite Israel’s record of non-compliance with the international community’s directives.
Following-up to the file of steadfastness in the village of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar, the sit-in and solidarity activities continue with the residents in the permanent tent in the village in order to foil the forced displacement and demolition plans of the village.
A list of Israeli Occupation and Settlers’ Assaults over the Last Week, Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Invading and searching a house belonging to Jawad Abu Sneineh in Baten Al-Hawa neighborhood in Silwan.
Hebron:
- Injuring the child Ali al-Natshe,14, and Haja Mazoza, 57 in the attack by the group of settlers, while returning back to their houses.
- Attacking workers, while working to repair a house in the old town of Hebron to marry his son, Gandhi.
Bethlehem:
- Notification to halt work in 3 houses in the village of Walaja north-west of Bethlehem under the pretext of having no-license.
- Setting up barbed wire along the main bypass road in the school area in the Taqoa town, southeast of Bethlehem under the pretext of protecting the settlers.
Nablus:
- Attacking farmers and olive pickers in the village of Burin, south of Nablus, while working on their land. Five Palestinians were slightly injured by stones.
Salfeet:
- Attacking the Marda village north of Salfit, damaged a number of vehicles, and wrote racist slogans near the entrance of Yasuf village east of Salfeet.
Jordan valley:
- Bulldozing and confiscating 60 agricultural trees in the Fasayil town to the north of Jericho. Expelling Palestinian farmers from their farms and notifying to stop constructing in 17 Palestinian agricultural facilities in the northern Jordan Valley.
- Attacking sheepherders in Khirbet Samra in the northern Jordan Valley, prevented them from grazing the sheep in the area on the grounds that they are military zones.
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The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)