Occupation forces have announced that the route of the Wall in the Qalqilya district will be modified. This change will affect the southern area, around the Alfe Menashe settlement, cutting off massive amounts of land from three villages and maintaining the isolation of several Bedouin communities.
***image1***Several weeks ago, Occupation forces put up announcements on the lands of ar-Rasha and Ras Tira notifying residents that the Wall in the area would be modified. This decision builds on a previous 2006 ruling from so-called High Court of Justice pertaining to the Wall in this area and affects the villages of Wadi ar-Rasha, Ras Tira, and al-Dabâa as well as the âArab ar-Ramadin and âArab Abu Farda communities.
The Wall will be extended some three kilometers along the south side of Alfe Menashe. The new path will affect a total of 2,500 dunums, which will either be razed for construction or isolated. 70% of this land is planted with olive trees, while the remainder serves as natural pastures and agricultural areas.
The new path of the Wall will sever the villages, which will fall to the south, from their main sources of income. Wadi ar-Rasha will lose 80% of its land, while Ras Tira will lose 60%.
***image2***Further, the construction of an alternative road for settler road 55 is included in the plans. The old road will be left for Palestinian use, while a new road will be built in the isolated area to the south, ensuring the destruction of additional land.
On the other side, the so-called âborder security areaâ of the Wall will pass 100 – 200 meters from the homes of Wadi ar-Rasha and Ras Tira. Not only will the people find themselves living within permanent view of the Wall, but they can also expect an increased military presence and the harassment it entails.
As far as the âArab ar-Ramadin and the âArab Farda are concerned, the new path of the Wall maintains their isolation. They are still under threat of transfer, as their communities are located on land that will likely be used to expand the Alfe Menashe settlement.
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Note: An earlier version of this article stated that the people of ‘Arab ar-Ramadin and ‘Arab Farda do not officially own the land where their communities are located. This has been corrected.