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~ Settlers? attacks ~

Nablus region

On July 19, settlers shot A?dnan Abu-Hanyeh, 31, from the village of Yanun, southeast of Nublus. His leg was injured and he was taken to Rafidia hospital in Nablus for treatment.

Abd-El-Latif Esbih, the mayor of Yanun, says that A?dnan was shot when ten armed settlers from Itamar attacked shepherds from the village in an attempt to take their livestock. He also said that this act has recurred several times, with the aim to prevent the villagers from using their lands so that the settlers could confiscate it for their own purposes.

On July 20, settlers from Bracha shot at people in the village of Rojib, injuring Ne?ima Mahmoud, 60. Jamil Edwilat, mayor of the village, reports that she was injured while standing in front of her home.

Hebron region

On July 20, settlers from Biet Hadasa, a settlement inside the old city of Hebron, attacked the home of Maher Yehya Shehadeh in the old city, shattering many of its windows. Prior to this incident the settlers also attempted to set fire to the home on June 8. The owner reports that there are repeated assaults on his home because of its proximity to the settlement, and he believes they are meant to force him to abandon his home. Maher also says that soldiers often watch these assaults without interfering, and that these assaults increase during Saturdays when the settlers march through the old city.

The Sultan family, who lives in Al-Nwera, an area northeast of Hebron, close to the settlement of Giva?t Hakhrzina, has been suffering from constant assaults by the settlers. This began a few months ago when the settlers took over parts of the residents? lands to expand the settlement.

Muhammad Radi Sultan, a member of the family who lives close to the settlement, says that over the years several dunams of his lands were confiscated and that the settlers have uprooted a large number of trees from his fields. Muhammad?s ability to live a normal life has been hampered due to the use of armed settlers of his land to shepherd their livestock under the army?s protection. Not only is Muhammad unable to use his own land but since the land is located near his home, Muhammad and his family also cannot live in peace in their own home. Every day, and for several hours at a time, the Israeli army forbids the family from leaving the house while the settlers are free to use the family?s lands. On July 23, the family received a phone call from the Qiryat Arba? police station warning them against standing up for the settlers. This is making their life very difficult as they are neither allowed to leave their home nor farm their fields. Muhammad says that these harassments are meant to force him and his family to abandon their home so the settlers could claim it as their own and connect the settlement with the nearby mountain, which they have already taken over.

~ Land confiscation and the Separation Wall ~

Nablus region

Israeli bulldozers started to open a new road from the settlement of Ariel west of Nablus, turning west towards the junction of the village of Borqeen, to meet with the road crossing the Samaria area. The road will cross the lands of the villages of Kefl El-Hares and Hares and will be 2.5 km, 30 m wide. Work on this road has caused the destruction of hundreds of almond and olive trees, and still threatens hundreds of others. This road is aimed to bypass Palestinian villages, connecting Ariel with Barkan?s industrial zone and other settlements.

Kamal Al-Qadomi, the commander of Salfeet area says that the road aims at expanding the settlement area around Salfeet as this area has the biggest aquifer in Palestine.

Ramalla region

The residents of Beit Eksa received confiscation orders for 1,628 dunums of their agricultural land in the eastern part of the village. The land belongs to several families and it has been the main source of livelihood for these families.

This confiscation is aimed at building a new settlement in the area, and for the expansion of previously existing settlements.

Abu Muhammad, the mayor of the village, says that this confiscation has allowed the settlements west of Jerusalem Giva?t Zeiv; Har Adar; Ma?ali Mecmash and others, to control about 95% of the village?s lands, effectively surrounding it from all sides. Under the current circumstances, he is afraid the residents might be forced to apply for permits to travel outside of their village. This confiscation also halts all future expansion of the village.

A typical case is that of Muhammad Ismae?el, a resident of the village, who says that over the years most of his lands have been confiscated to build the settlements, leaving Muhammad and his family with no land, the source of most Palestinians? livelihood.