The Occupation intensified its violent and racist policies this week against Palestinians in their villages and cities, concentrating on the schemes to exterminate Palestinian existence. The Occupation has launched a huge campaign to demolish Palestinian houses under the claim of having âno permitsâ, a technical tool used to expel Palestinians from their lands to annex, expand settlements, or to use as military zones. Eleven houses were destroyed last week in two days, as well as two farm barracks. The timing of these demolitions coincide with Occupation plans to expand markets and promotions in settlements that are without fail, built on destroyed Palestinians lives.
Jerusalem
Occupation bulldozers arrived in Ein Lozeh in Silwan (Jerusalem) on the morning of January the 16th and attacked the house of Ahmed al Raziq. Al-Raziqâs modest property consisted of a single 75 square meter room. He had built a small structure above the entrance to the property in order to prevent the house from decaying. Occupation Forces used this as a pretext for demolishing his house, stating they had not given permission for the structure to be built on Ahmedâs property.
In Jabal Al-Mukaber, Occupation forces plowed down a 100 m square house and demolished a house fence in Sur Bahir.
Occupation Forces also destroyed Zakarya Muhamed Hajeejâs house in Ashqarea area, Beit Hanina. He was living there for one year and half with his wife, two children, his mother and sister
Bethlehem
In Bethlehem, Ayman Ahmed Al-Wahshâs house was destroyed in Al-Ferdais, west Bethlehem, which is located 200 m away from the settler by-pass road that extends from Har Homa settlement, north east Bethlehem, to Teqoa settlement east south. This is the second house the village of Ayman has lost through demolishment.
A second 150 sq meter house, belonging to Ahmed Muhamed Abu Aryeh, and a third 100 sq meter house belonging to Hamzeh Ibraheim Al-Wahash, living with his wife and 3 kids, were demolished in Jeeb Al-Thieb village.
Also, two farm barracks belonging to Diab Ali Rasheed Suman and Atef Rasheed Suman were destroyed. These barracks were used to house their goats and chickens. Since the new settler bypass road was constructed in 2000, Occupation forces have leveled ten houses in the same area.
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Nablus
In Nablus, Occupation Forces demolished Muhamed Musaâs house that was under construction in the southern area of Qaryut village, south Nablus. Threats and orders were also given to another 15 families in the same village. Three of these houses are still under construction.
In western Al Lubban village, south Nablus, another house still under construction was destroyed, belonging to Ayman Ahmed Mahmoud Oâwas.
Jenin
On January 19th 2006, Occupation Forces destroyed a house belonging to Omar Sâood Jabareen. His home housed his family of 10 in al Taybe, in west Jenin. They also destroyed a house under construction owned by Tawfeeq Jabareen from the same area. Occupation Forces claimed that the house is located at what they call the âsecurity zoneâ of the Wall and used force and brutality to remove both families from their homes. Tawfiq Jabareen was beaten severely.
In Dhahr Al-Malih area, the Occupation destroyed a house belonging to Yousef Subhey Khateeb who lived with his family of five. They claimed in this case that Yousef did not have a âbuilding permitâ. Dhahr Al-Malih was part of western Tura but has been isolated since the erection of the Apartheid Wall.
Settlements:
One of the Occupation companies started marketing the new settlements housing units. Most of these buildings will be ready at the end of October 2007. Some of these new settlements will be built on Jabal Al-Mukaberâs confiscated lands in east Jerusalem and they will overlook Al-Aqsa mosque and the old city of Jerusalem. This new settlement, to be named Nof Zion, will include around 550 housing units with a five stars hotel, a commercial center, a club and a Jewish temple. The settlement will be located on dunums of Al-Mukaber lands, aiming to connect between Arman Tsive and settlers in Silwan
The Occupation government also announced a scheme to build 5,000 units in many settlements in West Bank:
2000 in Betar west Bethlehem
750 in Efrata settlement
500 at Maâaleh Adumim settlement east Jerusalem
450 in Zufin north east Qalqiliya
350 units at Arial in Salfit
Occupation Forces confiscated 10.6 dunums from Brukin to build a section of the Apartheid Wall at the sides of the settler by-pass road 446, which extended from Brukhin settlement (next Brukin village) to Bet Arye settlement. As a result, 4000 dunums of Brukin land will be isolated and confiscated for the settlements around it, settler by-pass roads, and land to be used as âmilitary campsâ. Bulldozers also started uprooting and leveling a wide space from Brukin lands to build a military sniper tower in that area.
Resistance
Gaza
Farmers in Gaza have started a grassroots call for a boycott on Israeli goods as the Occupation simultaneously floods Palestinian markets with their products, disallows Palestinian farmers to sell their products in the West Bank or the â48 lands, or export them. At the end of last week, farmers gathered in front of the fortified checkpoint âKarni Terminalâ in South Gaza. The farmers decided to protect their crops and gain control over their livelihoods by threatening to burn all Israeli produce that enters Gaza in response to the Occupation policies that strangle and destroy Palestinian farmers.
Hundreds of farmers, who live on planting strawberries in Gaza strip, protested in front of PA Agricultural Ministry in Gaza demanding to protect and support their product from the Israeli crops which invade Palestinian markets without conditions. Farmers also demanded to stop the exploitations they are facing from the Israeli companies by founding a Palestinian company that can buy their crops and export them both nationally and internationally.
Bilâin
Thousands of demonstrators marched in Bilâin last Friday to the lands uprooted and leveled for construction of the Apartheid Wall around their village. They shouted slogans calling to tear down the wall, to apply international law, and to stop the racist policies of the Occupation. Demonstrators declared that Bilâin villagers will not allow Occupation forces to prohibit them from reaching their lands, even if beaten with batons and guns, or by the Apartheid Wall. Every new demonstration pulls more and more people from Bilâin and the surrounding villages to reach and stop the Occupation bulldozers building the wall.
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