Farmers struggle against Israeli occupation

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Israeli Forces Fire at Palestinian Farmers in Gaza

Gaza Strip - Israeli Forces Tuesday opened fire at Palestinian farmers in Al-Farrahin area, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, according to witnesses.
Israeli troops stationed at the eastern borders of Gaza opened machine fire at farmers as they were harvesting their crops. No injuries were reported.
Farmers are afraid of not being able to harvest their crops, which is their only source of income, in light of the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since 2008.

Date : 30/5/ 2011

Soldiers & Settlers Prevent Palestinian Farmers from Working in their lands
West Bank - This is a particularly important time in the agricultural cycle. Yet in these crucial days Israeli soldiers have prevented farmers from Safa and Beit Ummar villages from farming their land near the settlement of Bat Ayin, to the north of the villages, claiming the area as a „closed military zone‟.
This rich agricultural area, called Wad Abu El-Rish, cultivated by olive trees and grape, owned by numerous farmers from both Safa and Beit Ummar.
In the past several days, settlers have cut down 20 olive trees and 20 grape vines in Wad Abu El-Rish. The owner of the destroyed trees, Hammad Solaibi, reported that “if the soldiers continue preventing us from going to our land we will lose the season of grapes, which is a primary source of income. Last year settlers cut dozens of trees down in the area and now they are doing the same.”
Local village sources told the Alternative Information Center they fear that recent settler attacks and the Israeli military declaration of the area as a closed military zone are paving the way for annexing this area to the Bat Ayin settlement.

Date : 2\6\2011
Settlers torch crops in Nablus villages
West Bank - For the second time this week, villagers reported fires set by settlers in farmlands south of Nablus, with Burin residents pointing the finger at residents of the Yitzhar settlement. Farmlands near Madama and Burin villages, both south of Nablus, were ablaze Thursday afternoon, and villagers told settlements observer that settlers were seen in the area. Palestinian fire crews were able to contain the blazes, but several dunums of lands were wrecked, the official said. The fires came following the evacuation of a settlement outpost fifteen kilometers south of the villages. Locals near the Shilo settlement, where four illegal structures were dismantled, said 12 cars were vandalized by settlers. On Monday, settlers visiting a shrine inside Nablus rioted against Israeli forces escorting the 1,600-strong group, and according to Palestinians, later
set fire to lands near Madama. The incidents marked a jump in settler violence against Palestinians in the area.

Date : 3\6\2011
Israeli Soldiers Attack West Bank Anti-Wall Protestors, Injuring Six Civilians
West Bank - Six civilians were injured on Friday and many more were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked the weekly anti-wall protests in a number of West Bank communities. This week, protests were reported in the villages of al-Nabi Salleh, Bil‟in, and Nil‟in in the central West Bank, as well as al-Ma‟ssara in the south. One man was injured in the leg and two dozen were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation as troops attacked the weekly protest in the village of al-Nabi Salleh, central West Bank. On Friday morning, villagers and their international and Israeli supporters gathered near land where Israel plans to build a new settlement. Troops attacked villages as soon as they left, and later invaded the village and fired tear gas into people homes. Later, after the midday prayer, protestors marched again to the settlement construction site, where troops attacked them with tear gas before leaving the village. One man was hit with a tear gas bomb, injuring his hand. Troops later invaded the village and took over homes, including the house of Bassem al-Tamimi, a local activist who has been detained by the Israeli military for the past six months. Similarly, in Bil‟in village, a journalist was injured and many more were treated for tear gas inhalation after troops attacked the protest. Residents of Bil‟in have been protesting at the wall for the past six years. International and Israeli supporters joined the villagers after the midday prayers. As soon as people reached the gate of the wall separating villagers from their lands, troops fired tear gas and sound bombs. Khalid Sabarnah, 45 years old, a local journalist, was injured when a tear gas bomb hit him in his hand. Further protests were held in the nearby village of Nil‟in, where the residents and their Israeli and international supporters held the Friday midday prayers near the Israeli wall. The protestors then marched up to the wall, marking the third year of
their resistance against it. Troops fired tear gas and live rounds at protesters, causing minor injuries to four. Furthermore, troops fired tear gas at nearby olive orchards, where a number of olive trees caught fire. Elsewhere on the same day, villagers and their international and Israeli supporters protested against the wall and settlements in al-Ma‟sara village in the southern West Bank. Israeli troops stopped villagers from reaching the construction side of the wall, and pushed people back into the village, where the protest ended without any further clashes.

Date : 12/6/2011
Israeli army burns agricultural lands near Qalqiliya
West Bank- Israeli soldiers set fire overnight to agricultural lands in Azoun Atme, a village in the West Bank city of Qalqilya without legal justification.
According to witnesses, Israeli vehicles invaded the village at night and set fire to large areas near the illegal settlement of Aornett and inflicted excessive damage.
Witnesses stated that more than 20 dunums planted with olives and cereals were completely burnt. Those lands were the only source of livelihood for dozens of Palestinian families.
A team from the Palestinian civil defense immediately rushed to the area to put out the fire. No causalities were reported.
Azoun Atme is a Palestinian village surrounded by the Separation Wall and inhibited by over 1700 residents who live under poor conditions due to Israeli ongoing abuses.

Date : 13\6\2011
Israeli forces issue 3 demolition notifications for 3 farmers in Majdal Bani Fadel
West Bank - the Israeli forces issued 3 demolition notifications for 3 farmers benefited from the land reclamation and rehabilitation project implemented in Majdal Bani Fadel village by UAWC and funded by the international Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Nablus district.
Israeli forces have informed 3 farmers that they had one week to demolish their water tanks and destroy their reclaimed lands.
In addition, Israeli forces have confiscated an agricultural vehicle and asked its owner to review the court in Qalqiliya.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli forces have issued the first demolition notification on 22\3\2011 while the second one was issues on 12\6\2011
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Date : 23\6\2011
Israeli army stops the land reclamation project and confiscates agricultural vehicles
West Bank - Israeli army stopped the work at the land reclamation project site in the villages of Jurish and Aqraba, south of Nablus district and Imreiha, west of Jenin under the pretext that these lands are located in area C and closed to settlements and bypass roads.
The project coordinator, Sa‟ada Abu Sheikha, said that “in Aqraba, the Israeli army confiscated a Bagger and detained construction workers engaged in building the retaining walls for hours.
“In Jurish, Israeli army stopped the work in 20 dunums located near the illegal settlement of Migdalim. They also stopped the work in 50 dunums in Imreiha village in Ya‟bad.”
This project includes reclaiming and cultivating hundreds of dunums with fruit trees, establishing cisterns, opening agricultural roads, digging ponds, giving training and building capacities for hundreds of farmers in using modern technology in the agriculture.
This project aims at improving livelihoods of Palestinian families that rely on agriculture as well as protecting their lands from Israeli confiscation.
It is worth mentioning that this project is implemented by UAWC in partnership with a number of Palestinian NGOs under the management of PARC and funded by the Dutch government.

In this context, UAWC calls on all international organizations to work on protecting the Palestinians and their properties from Israeli attacks.