This week - July 5-11, 2020 - in the Occupied Territories
Expulsion of Palestinian shepherds, Jewish settler-colonist incursions in Palestinian farm and grazing lands, confiscation of water pipes in the midst of summer, and Palestinian home demolitions by the occupation forces in the Palestinian Jordan Valley, in the South Hebron Hills, in Jerusalem and in Khan Al Ahmar
Palestinian Jordan Valley
Shepherds around Auja no longer dare reach their grazing grounds unaccompanied by Israeli activists. Only when the latter show up do they manage - at times - to graze in peace. This week activists accompanied them on five days: on Sunday the Israeli army came to chase them away as they were already on their way home; on Monday, a settler-colonist from the outpost of Omer Farm tried to chase them away and then summoned the army to complete the job; on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday grazing went unhampered.
On Friday, July 10, in the midst of summer and the heavy heat conditions, the occupation forces confiscated
water pipes at Bardala in the northern Palestinian Jordan Valley
Accompaniment of Palestinian shepherds to grazing grounds in both areas, West Bank Hill range and the Auja area, involves a great number of activists, and many more are needed during the next few weeks.
To join, please contact Arik: 050-5607034
South Hebron Hills
On Monday, July 6, the army`s Civil Administration toured the area of Massafer Yatta and Daqaiqa, demanded of the shepherds to demolish their own seasonal grazing tents, and threatened them with demolition if they do not. On Wednesday the occupation forces came to the A-Najada shepherd community, located in the north-eastern tip of firing zone 918, confiscated and demolished such a seasonal tent. A large number of additional tents were dismantled by their owners at that time for fear of demolition.
On Wednesday, July 8, the Abu-Qbeita family who dwell on the south side of the Beit Yatir checkpoint discovered that two of their grown olive trees had been uprooted. They assume that the perpetrators came from Yaacov Talia`s outpost. The same day, a Susya settler-colonist invaded with his flock privately owned Palestinian lands on the slopes of the Rujum hill, an area that is out of bounds for Israelis by regional command edict. Palestinian Susya villagers came to protest, followed by more Jewish settler-colonists and army and Civil Administration personnel. The Palestinian land owners told then they would not leave until the settler-colonists would be forced to leave, and only then were the invaders ordered out, but without the army taking any measures against them for violating the closed zone edict.
That same day, Wednesday, July 8, heavy equipment began to work on a new track close to the cowsheds of settler-colonies Carmel and Maon on the grounds of Umm Zaytuna. On Saturday, July 11, activists came to document and map the new track. Although the preparation works are not yet finished, clearly it enables easy access for the settler-colonists and the army to chase Palestinian shepherds away from the entire grazing grounds of Umm Zaytuna.
On Saturday, activists accompanied shepherds at Umm Al Imad and in Wadi Sweyd unhampered. Furthermore, following reports from the ground, activists documented signs of settler-colonists taking over a water hole in the grounds of Atariya, close to the settler-colonist outpost of Mitzpe Yair, and found and documented saplings freshly planted by the invaders. That water hole used to serve Palestinian shepherds in the area in the past, but because of its proximity to the violent outpost Mitzpe Yair they had to stop using it after being chased away time and again by the settler-colonists and the Israeli army who does their bidding.
To join Ta`ayush in The South Hebron Hills this Saturday call 055-2770168
Please make an effort to register no later than Thursday evening, so we can organize the transportation and the activity properly. Unfortunately, we will not be able to guarantee registration afterwards.
Please bring an ID/passport, a hat, water and food for the day.
It is advised to take into consideration cultural differences in the choice of clothing.
Jerusalem and surroundings
Last Wednesday, July 8, Israeli occupation forces were also engaged in massive demolitions around Jerusalem. They demolished two structures in the Male Adumim area: one in Abu Nawar community, and the second in Khan Al Ahmar. On the same day, in East Jerusalem one structure was demolished in Issawiya and another in the Silwan neighborhood. On Monday the occupation forces demolished a building in Walaje, south-east of Jerusalem
The weekly protest in Sheikh Jarrah continues to take place every Friday, adhering to emergency procedures. The residents of Sheikh are protesting their violent evictions from their homes, the taking over of the neighborhood by the settlers, and the Judaization of East Jerusalem. They call upon each and every person who supports their struggle to join them
We will meet at the Sheikh Jarrah Garden, Nablus Road and Dahlmann St. at at 4 p.m
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