First the Wall…Now, New Destruction in Izbat Salman

Map of Affected Locality: Above: A map showing the area of Izbat Salman and Izbat Jalud. The heavy blue line shows the Wall’s path to the west, while the settlement of Oranit, built on the villages’ lands is also seen in blue. Full Map of Apartheid Wall

Before one week, Occupation Forces started destroying lands in Izbat Salman, in the southern part of Qalqiliya District.

Izbat Salman is a small village which already lost large amounts of land during the Apartheid Wall’s first phase. The Wall’s footprint runs through the western lands of Izbat Salman, isolating cultivated lands.

Now, Occupation Forces have destroyed 350 dunums of land from Izbat Salman and the nearby Izbat Jalud. The villagers believe that this land is being destroyed in order for Occupation Forces to build a new settlement, near the settlement of Oranit, which was already built on the villages’ lands.

All along its path, the Apartheid Wall destroys and isolates Palestinian lands in order to annex settlements and make room for their future expansion. By cutting the Palestinian farmers off from their lands, their workplaces and their schools, Occupation Forces are, at the same time, using the Apartheid Wall to force people to leave their lands and strangling Palestinian livelihood.

It is clear that even in areas where the Wall has been “completed”, the Wall’s aims continue…to expand settlements on more confiscated lands, to crush Palestinian economy and society and to expel Palestinians from their lands.