A group of Palestinian residents and activists in the Popular Campaign against the Apartheid Wall and the settlements gathered on Saturday March 13 in the village of Jub ath-Theeb, south-west of Bethlehem city. Joined by international activists, including a Cuban delegation, they reclaimed land threatened with confiscation by the Israeli occupation.
Occupation forces, accompanied by a number of settlers, were stationed near the threatened lands in a desperate attempt to discourage landowners and residents from defending their land through reclamation.
The activists have gone to the same land since the beginning of February when they started regular land reclamation activities and built low stone walls to demarcate the land of the farmers. However, the settlers from Nakudim settlement, accompanied by the occupation forces, attacked the reclaimed land and destroyed these walls and attacked the Palestinian farm land.
Later in the day, the same group went to the area of Wadi Rahal to reclaim a selection of other lands threatened by confiscation for the construction of the Apartheid Wall. When the volunteers arrived at the scene they found a paper containing a new military order confiscating further land. The people have considered this as an indication that the Israeli military intends to change the course of the apartheid wall in the area.
Nevertheless, the group planted on some of the reclaimed land and then held speeches in which they emphasized their opposition to the apartheid wall, regardless of the route of the wall.