For the second year in a row, the Bethlehem Agricultural Directorate, in cooperation with Stop the Wall and several other organizations, began voluntary land reclamation work on Thursday in the area of Wad Abu Bakir in al Khadr. International solidarity activists joined in the voluntary work, which is planned to continue throughout the year.
The land reclamation activities are important in areas threatened by the Wall and settlements, and serve as a means to strengthen the samud, or steadfastness, of Palestinians to their land. Furthermore, this work also raises the income level of the farmers through increasing the area of land that can be effectively planted.
The village of al Khadr is surrounded on four sides by settlements, and maintaining control of the land is important in facing the ongoing attacks carried out by Occupation forces, aimed at pushing the farmers off their land and seizing control of more territory.
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