Alternative Information Center - Settler Violence Report 21

Bulldozers, under the protection of the IDF, uprooted 25 olive trees from land belonging to Salem village, east of Nablus. The trees were located near the road leading to Elon Moreh settlement. The soldiers explained to Abdel Hadi Jabbor, the owner of the land, that the uprooting of these trees was necessary because of security concerns of the Israeli settlers using the road. (The uprooting of trees and leveling of land takes place continuously in that area.)

On the same day in the Gaza Strip, near Kfar Darom settlement and Deir El-Balah, 15 dunoms of land were leveled and 2 shacks damaged, belonging to Na'em Al-Qodr and `Alam el-Lahham

Near Morag settlement, in the south of the Gaza Strip, 3 dunoms of agricultural land were leveled, green houses were demolished, and the irrigation system along with 3 pumps damaged. The land belongs to Al- Agha family.

In the evening of the same day, 22-year old `Ala Ibrahim Tabil was shot at by Israeli settlers on the road between Nablus and Ramallah. He was wounded in his right hand, and hospitalized in Ramallah.

In the morning, Israeli bulldozers and Israeli soldiers arrived at land belonging to El-Phalit, Abu Holi and Ja'farawi family, located near Kfar Darom settlement (Gaza Strip). Approximately 25 dunoms were leveled in order to open a new by-pass road linking Abu Holi junction with the Gush Katif settlement bloc.

Security forces established by Israeli Settlers prevented peasants from Huwara village (south of Nablus) from working on their fields, and forced them back to their homes.

Israeli Bulldozers started building a new 1 km long and 15 meter wide road, linking Gush Katif with a military center. 300 dunoms of agricultural land was leveled.

Bulldozers started to build a new road in El-Ganoub area, east of Sa'ir village (northeast of Hebron). 500 dunoms of land belonging to El-Shalalida family were confiscated in order to build this 3 km long road.

The Israeli authorities announced 115 dunoms of land belonging to families from Habla village near Kalkilya as confiscated. The land is known as El-Wad, and is located north of Habla village. Sewage pipes, serving the Israeli settlements Neve Manahim, Karne Shamron, Garnot Shamron, Alfem Meneshi, and Ma'ale Shamron, are going to be installed there, cutting the land of Habla and Kufr Thulf village.

Recently, Israeli settlers from Itamar, southeast of Nablus, recruited troops and began to patrol in the area around Itamar. They especially stop and interrogate children. One Palestinian child was arrested and taken to the Israeli military center nearby because he collected cases of bullets. (Palestinian children often collect these cases in order to sell them for recycling because of their high- quality metal.)

During the same day, 20 armed settlers tried to enter Rabi'a `Adawiya girls school in downtown Hebron. Settlers threw stones in the direction of the classrooms until Israeli soldiers forced them out of the schoolyard.

Israeli settlers from Efrat (south of Bethlehem area) penetrated into land known as Kikan, which belongs to Shahib Muhammad Ghonaim from Al- Khader. They damaged and uprooted around 300 grape and 40 olive trees, and erected a roadblock leading to this area.

Israeli Bulldozer, under the protection of the army, leveled around 7 dunoms of agricultural land and damaged greenhouses near Morag settlement (in the south of the Gaza Strip). This land belongs to: - 4 dunoms to Ayyob Duheir; - 2 dunoms to Shager `Ajlan; - 1 dunom to Atiyya Abu Humaida According to a report from the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza, around 70 dunoms have been leveled in that area since the beginning of the Intifadah. The Israeli authorities intend to use this land in order to open a new road linking Morag and Gush Katif settlements.

Armed Israeli settlers attacked farmers from Hijata village, east of Hebron, while they were harvesting wheat in El-Tawani area. The settlers used stones, metal pipes and body-building instruments in their attack. After they succeeded in driving away the farmers, they burned the corn on the fields. 5 Palestinians, members of Raba'ee family, were injured.

On Prisoners Day, settlers attacked a peaceful Palestinian march in El-Shallalah Street in Hebron.

Armed settlers from Rachel (near Nablus) attacked farmers who were plowing El-Haqil land. Bahjad Ahmad Shehada, 66, Omar Ahmad Hassan, 57, Hjaj Abdel Ghani Bedoi, 67 were among the farmers who were beaten. According to Hjaj Abdel Ghani Bedoi, tens of armed settlers forced the farmers to leave their fields, threatening them with their weapons.

In the afternoon, in El-Sahla area (downtown Hebron) tens of armed settlers attacked Palestinian houses, as well as people who came to shop, while settlers marched through the streets calling the Israeli government to reoccupy Abu Sneinah neighborhood. Several windows were broken.