Alternative Information Center - Settler Violence Report 65

? On May 1 at 10am, 7 workers of Hebron Municipality were attacked by settlers while working in Al-Haram Al- Ibrahimi (Cave of the Patriarchs) garden. The workers were forced to leave the place. Municipality resources state that the settlers came and asked the workers to leave the garden and not to work in it while threatening them with guns; the soldiers in the area did nothing to stop the settlers. Few days ago, the a similar incident took place in the garden. Municipality resources add that the settlers intend to take over the garden by preventing the residents and official bodies, such as the Municipality, from entering or using the garden.

? On May 1, settlers from Susya, southeast of Yatta, attacked some farmers in the fields near the settlement. Shihada Abu 'Eram was physically attacked by 4 armed settlers including with stones. The settlers confiscated his agriculture tractor. Mohammed Nawaj'a reports: ?after the attack, the settlers came to the land in the evening and sabotaged with a tractor 5 Dunams of wheat belonging to Nawaj'a and Jabor families.?

? On May 2, settlers from many outposts in the old city of Hebron took over El-Kayyal mosque in the city. The settlers transformed the mosque to a house for their use. This action happened after one month of gradually take over of the Aqbat mosque in the city. The Islamic Waqf issued a statement calling human rights organisations and the international community to pay more attention and intervene to stop the settlers' aggressions in the old city of Hebron, especially violations against holy places that are protected by the Geneva Conventions and Humanitarian Law.

? On may 2 during the afternoon hours, about ten settlers, some armed, chased many residents in Wadi Husain, west of the Qiryat Arba?. The settlers stoned people. Hisham Idrees says that the settlers from Qiryat Arba? attack residents in the place regularly and that few days earlier they did the same thing. Sabryya Iskafee, 38, was injured in many parts of her body after the settlers stoned her. Na'la Idrees reports that she was stoned by settlers last Thursday while walking with three other women in the street.

? In the afternoon of May 3 a group of settlers from Qiryat Arba? stoned many houses in Wadi El-Nasara, south of the settlement. Munther Da'na reports that the attacks happened at the same time that soldiers entered several houses in the place and at the same time the settlers gathered in land that belongs to Mahmoud Bouti Jaber, which was leveled by the settlers five months ago to expand their settlement to the south.

? On May 3, settlers from the outpost Magen David (Yair Farm), east of the settlement Susya, southeast of Yatta, damaged by using a tractor 18 Dunams of land planted with wheat that belongs to the brothers Yousef and Hammad Abu Eldibs. The Outpost was established ten years ago and consists of 13 mobile houses; few settlers are living in it. In the same area, settlers prevented the resident to cultivate their land three days before.

? On May 9, and throughout the two days, settlers from outposts and other settlements in the Hebron area gathered, marched and demonstrated in the streets of the old city of Hebron, celebrating the Jewish feast of Lag Bao?mer. The house of Jaber family was stoned and their car was set on fire. In Tel Romiyda, settlers attacked three houses that belong to Abu Haikal and Abu ?Esha families. Racist anti-Arab slogans were shouted in all the marches.

? On the morning of May 11 settlers from Ma'on, southeast of Yatta, set 4 Dunams of wheat on fire; the land belongs to Hussein Ahmad Hamamda. This is the second time that settlers from Ma'on inflict such acts against the crops in the area. The first time it happened was was when settlers set on fire 35 Dunams that belong to 'Omour family.

Nablus and the Northern West Bank

? On the night of April 29, about 20 armed settlers from Shaked and Hinanit entered the village Umm Ar Rihan, west of Jenin, opened fire and stoned houses and cars in the village. Bader Ziad, member of the local council, reports that ?there is no reason for this aggression and this is not the first time that the settlers from both settlements attack the village. Many times in the past they entered the village and attack Palestinian houses."

Ziad adds that his village is now trapped between the Apartheid Wall from the east and the ?Green Line? from the west surrounded by four settlements (Shaked, Hinanit, Reyhan and Tel Menasheh). The lives of the 500 residents are unbearable at the present time. No one can leave or come in but via the Wall?s gate which is guarded by soldiers.

? On the noon of May 2, 3 armed settlers, some of whom were veiled, attacked the east side of the village Urif, south of Nablus. Fawzi Shehada, a member of the local council reports: ?ten windows were shattered when the settlers stoned the houses of Isam Safadi, Samir Sawalmeh, Abed Raheem Safadi and Faig Safadi. The houses in the east side of the village were attacked many times by the settlers. We approached the army and the police many times and they promised to stop such aggressions. Yet, the situation remains the same.?

? On May 11, 10 settlers from 'Aley Zahav set on fire some 50 Dunams of olive trees belonging to many families from the village Kafr ad Dik, southeast of Qalqiliya. Farmer Hussein Iddek reports that 200 trees were burned completely in the site located near the bypass road leading to the settlement. The residents are unable tot reach the area because the settlers remained in the place until the trees were fully burned.

? On May 3, settlers from Neve Dekalim started working in building new 21 housing units in the settlement. According to the plan, the work will end in the coming few months. Some hundred settlers gathered in the place to celebrate the beginning of the work.

? On May 2, the settlers from Givat Harsina, east of Hebron, confiscated 18 Dunams that belong to the Ajrab family. The land is located to the west of the settlement. Ajrab reports that the confiscation happened while the case is discussed in the Israeli Supreme Court which did not yet rule of the issue. (For more information consult previous AIC reports).

? On May 4, the Army issued two orders: the first to demolish 11 houses in Wadi El-Nasara area in the old city of Hebron; the second to confiscate 700 square meters east of Al-Haram Al- Ibrahimi (Cave of the Patriarchs). The first order was numbered 1/0/4 and it states that the Israeli authority will demolish 11 houses in old city of Hebron in the site of Wadi El-Nasara. Abd El-hadi Hantash of the Land Defense Committees explains that the purpose of the order is to open a road between the settlement of Qiryat Arba? and Al-Haram Al- Ibrahimi. The houses belong to the Da'na, Jaber and Idrees families. The second order, numbered T/26/4, is to confiscate 700 square meters near Al-Haram Al- Ibrahimi. This land belongs to the Islamic Waqf. Hantash adds that both orders were signed in April 29.

? On May 6, the Army Commander in West Bank Moshe Kapliniski issued an order to confiscate 22 Dunams in the village Far'un, south of Tulkarm. The purpose of the confiscation is to open new bypass road for Avney Hefets. The land belongs to Saleem Ibraheem, Mohammed Bodair, Rasheed Bodair and Khaleel Bodair who say that they were given the order in the Kafriyyat checkpoint near the village. According to the order, the owners have 7 days to contest it.