Alternative Information Center - Settler Violence Report 55

- Settlers from many outposts inside the old city of Hebron attacked Palestinians in Alshalala Street, near Beit Hadasa outpost. On November 31 and December 14 about eight armed settlers threw stones and glasses at Palestinians, who had come to shop from the shops that were recently re-opened, after eighteen months of closure. These events of the two days, all occurred in front of soldiers who were maintaining a continual presence in the street. These actions forced the shoppers to leave the street.

- On December 14, five settlers from ?Avraham Avinu? outpost, in the center of the old city, threw stones at numerous Palestinian houses near the outpost. The settlers also chased the children that were playing in the streets. Mohammed Ja?bari said that these kinds of attacks happened frequently near Alharam Al-Ibrahimi (Cave of the Patriarchs), as the settlers have become accustomed to walking in the streets and throwing stones at our houses. Although the Palestinians asked the soldiers to stop these actions many times, no action was taken.

- On December 11, settlers from Qiryat Arba? went on with their repetitive attacks on the Palestinian houses in Wadi Al-Nasara, the neighborhood close the settlement. Settlers threw stones at houses belonging to the Da?na and Jaber families and chased people in the main street to prevent them from using it, as they claim that that street is a street only for settlers. Mohmoud Jaber reports that these attacks happen daily, as the settlers want to prevent them from using the street (which Palestinians have used for decades).

- On December 7, settlers from Qiryat Arba? threw stones at houses belonging to Imad No?man da?na and Fakhri Atiyya, shattering five windows.

- Settlers from Ma?on attacked farmers from the village El-Tawani, south of Hebron, whilst they were on their way to farm their lands, located near the settlement. E?id Ibraheem I?moor reports that in the morning of December 11 he went with many others to work on their lands. While they were there, about ten armed settlers from the nearby settlement Ma?on came, ordered them to leave, claiming they were settlement lands. When the farmers refused to leave the settlers attacked E?id and two others, threatening them with guns. These aggressive acts happen annually, particularly at the beginning of winter when the farmers need to farm their land. These lands comprise the major income source for the village.

- On December 8 and 9, settlers from Hagai, south of Hebron confiscated ten Dunams belonging to residents from Rehiyya village and prevented the farmers from working. Sami Mohammed Hallaq, a farmer, reports that when he went with his brother to their land south of Hagai, seven armed settlers threatened them, telling them to leave. When they refused to do so, the settlers attacked them, causing injuries to both men. After thirty minutes soldiers detained the Hallaq brothers in the settlement, and ordered them not to go to their lands as problems could occur. The same thing happened to Mosa Issa Najjar the day before.

Nablus Region and North of West Bank:

- On December 10, Jaber Ali Souf, six years old, was injured seriously after a settler ran him over with a car, while he was walking in the main street of his village of Hares, east of Qalqilya. Omer Assaf, Mayor of the village said: ?the settlers usually drive fast on this road. Many people have been injured in the past because of such behavior.?

- A settler from Kfar Tapuach has been attacking farmers and shepherds from the village of Marda, southwest of Nablus, preventing them from accessing and farming their lands. The settler alongside 6 others, all armed, come to the land daily, allowing the settler to use hundreds of Dunams of land to graze his livestock.

Wathiq Ayyoub, a journalist from the village emphasized that ?the settlers have been preventing the farmers from accessing and attending to their lands for the last three months. At the same time, settlers from Ariel took over 4 Dunams of Marda?s lands that they use for dumping their garbage. Abed Allah Abdah, a farmer, reports that ?during the last week, we saw that the settlers started dumping trash on our lands, and 4 Dunams has now been covered by trash. The land in the area is planted with olive trees, which means that these trees will soon die.?

- On December 1, the Israeli army started leveling lands east of the bypass road #60 near Atzion checkpoint, in order to expand the road. About ten Dunams have now been leveled. The lands were cultivated with grape orchards that belong to families from the village Beit Ommar.

Hasan abu Ayyash reports that ?around forty Dunams were leveled in the area three months ago. When we went to protest the soldiers forced us to leave?. The land that was leveled belongs to several families from Abu Ayyash family.

- On December 2, the Israelis started leveling the land southeast of Kharsena settlement, a settlement within the old city of Hebron, in order to open a new road and expand the settlement. The bulldozers leveled around thirty Dunams, eighteen of which belong to Omar Bader Ajrab, and the rest belongs to Fathi and Zeyad Atrash.

- Omar reports that ?whilst leveling the lands, 200 grape trees had been uprooted. The work started after the Israeli Civil Administration gave confiscation orders three months ago. We went to the Israeli court through the Land defense Committee, but the work started even though the case is still being tried in court?. Abed Al Hadi Hantash, a Land Defense Committee member, said ?this is a part of huge settlement project in the area; this project will take 3000 Dunams to open new roads and expand the settlements like Kharsena and Qiryat Arba?. Omar Ajrab said that on December 13 the army informed him that ?they are building a road to separate the Palestinians from the Kharsena settlement?.

- On December 8, the army demolished a house that belongs to A?ed Mahmoud Abu Sharar from Efqaqees village, south of Hebron. The demolition took place as part of the work to build a new bypass road east of the Negohot settlement. The Civil Administration issued demolition orders to many houses in the area, under the pretence of illegal building. Waleed Abu Sharar, chairman of the Regional Committee, reports that ?the orders were issued so as to take control of the land in order to expand the settlement and open new roads. These orders were issued against houses located east of the settlement where the land was confiscated and the work on the road is taking place.?

The bulldozers continue to level the lands for a new bypass road in Jabal El-Deek southeast of the Har-Homa settlement. On December 3, tens of olive trees were uprooted which belong to Misleh family from Beit Sahour.