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Construction Begins on First of Five Ghetto “Terminals” Imprisoning Hebron!
Latest News, Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, December 22nd, 2005

This week the occupation bulldozers started uprooting lands in the South of Jaba`. The village is situated north of what will become the border between the Bethlehem ghetto and the Hebron ghetto, which will be isolated from one another by the Wall and the Jewish-only road.
In the last two days some 500 olive trees have been uprooted by the Occupation forces. The destroyed piece of land is located between al Jaba` village and Surif along the apartheid road n.60 (connecting the Gush Etzion settlements with Palestine `48) that separates the two villages. In this place a new terminal is to be built to control and funnel the Palestinian population under the settler road from one ghetto to the other.

Above: Along the Jewish-only road, Occupation bulldozers uproot trees for the new racist terminal.

Above: Today a check point is blocking the way for Palestinians on and across the road.

The affected farmers gathered on their lands and were forced to watch as the Occupation forces uprooted and carried away their olive trees, probably to be sold in Israeli markets. Zionist cynicism reached its peak when the farmers that could provide the Occupation forces with deeds to their land were allowed to retrieve their uprooted olive trees, despite the fact that they now have no land in which to replant them. One of the farmers has been able to block the work on his property today by refusing to leave his land.

Above: Palestinian steadfastness blocks the destruction of their lands.

The occupation military has issued one year ago confiscation orders to steal 110 dunum of land from the people to build this ghetto gate. Now, the farmers are expecting additional 1600 olive trees still to be uprooted for the “terminal”.

Above: With every tree uprooted by the Occupation, a part of Palestinian livelihood and heritage is destroyed.

Above: Making business with the destruction of Palestinian lives: The Occupation steals Palestinian olive trees.

This ghetto gate is one of five “terminals” the occupation is planning to build to isolate the city of Hebron. One will be located in the area of an-Nabi Yousef, east of Halhul; a second one in the area of Beit `Inon in the Northeast of Hebron, a third one in al Fuhs area in the East of Hebron and the last one will be situated close to al Fawwar refugee camp entrance in the South of Hebron. All these racist “terminals” are planned to allow Jewish-only freeways for settlements and their apartheid infrastructure. Once these ghetto gates will be completed all ways from and to Hebron will be under complete Zionist control.

To reinforce the destruction of Palestinian land and the land grab of the Western part of the West Bank, the settlers from Ma’on, East of Yatta (South Hebron district) have started uprooting the land south of the settlement in order to expand the area they control. Already last week, destruction of Palestinian lands by the settlers has been taking place west of Ma`on while the Palestinian owners of the land and people from the villages around have been barred by Occupation forces from reaching their lands to protect them.