1 dec 2017
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) is trying to retroactively legalize a sewage treatment facility near the illegal settlement of Ofra in Ramallah that was built illegally on private Palestinian land.
According to Haaretz news website, the current official effort to legalize the plant may get a boost from a recent legal opinion issued by attorney general Avichai Mandelblit allowing the expropriation of private Palestinian land for infrastructure that would serve only Israelis.
The sewage facility was built without permits and two chairmen of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council were fined after they admitted that they had advanced its construction through a land grab.
However, a legal opinion from the West Bank legal adviser could allow for the expropriation of the land, Haaretz said.
Steps to advance the plan will be discussed at a meeting of a subcommittee of the Israeli army’s civil administration planning committee on December 6.
A security source familiar with the details told Haaretz that the plan is at an advanced stage and is expected to be approved.
The land would need to be formally expropriated and then building permits would be issued retroactively, the website affirmed.
According to Haaretz news website, the current official effort to legalize the plant may get a boost from a recent legal opinion issued by attorney general Avichai Mandelblit allowing the expropriation of private Palestinian land for infrastructure that would serve only Israelis.
The sewage facility was built without permits and two chairmen of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council were fined after they admitted that they had advanced its construction through a land grab.
However, a legal opinion from the West Bank legal adviser could allow for the expropriation of the land, Haaretz said.
Steps to advance the plan will be discussed at a meeting of a subcommittee of the Israeli army’s civil administration planning committee on December 6.
A security source familiar with the details told Haaretz that the plan is at an advanced stage and is expected to be approved.
The land would need to be formally expropriated and then building permits would be issued retroactively, the website affirmed.
25 oct 2017
Palestinian farmers in Deir al-Hatab town, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, reported on Wednesday that Elon More settlement near the city flooded dozens of their olive trees with sewage water on Tuesday evening.
As a result, large areas of their agricultural lands were spoiled.
Zakaria al-Siddeh, official of field operations at Rabbis for Human Rights organization said that the Palestinian farmers discovered, in the morning, the tremendous damage when they visited their lands in order to pick the olives.
As a result, large areas of their agricultural lands were spoiled.
Zakaria al-Siddeh, official of field operations at Rabbis for Human Rights organization said that the Palestinian farmers discovered, in the morning, the tremendous damage when they visited their lands in order to pick the olives.
Palestinian customs check crews on Wednesday caught an Israeli dustcart carrying solid waste, including construction debris, in an attempt to discharge them on Palestinian lands in Salfit.
A statement by the Public Relations Administration at the Customs Police Station said a garbage truck carrying solid waste from the industrial zone of the Israeli settlement outpost of Karni Shamron was detected in Salfit.
According to the customs authorities, the waste spotted onboard the Israeli trucks is harmful to the ecosystem and natural world for it includes insoluble materials and products.
The customs officers forced the truck to pull back shortly after staff members of the Environmental Quality Authority showed up in the area and warned of the ecological dangers that are likely to be wrought by the trash.
The statement revealed the launch of a series of legal measures to protect Palestinian landowners in Salfit from such hazardous attempts by the Israeli occupation authorities and settlers.
A statement by the Public Relations Administration at the Customs Police Station said a garbage truck carrying solid waste from the industrial zone of the Israeli settlement outpost of Karni Shamron was detected in Salfit.
According to the customs authorities, the waste spotted onboard the Israeli trucks is harmful to the ecosystem and natural world for it includes insoluble materials and products.
The customs officers forced the truck to pull back shortly after staff members of the Environmental Quality Authority showed up in the area and warned of the ecological dangers that are likely to be wrought by the trash.
The statement revealed the launch of a series of legal measures to protect Palestinian landowners in Salfit from such hazardous attempts by the Israeli occupation authorities and settlers.
24 oct 2017
Israeli colonists flooded, Tuesday, dozens of Palestinian olive trees with sewage water, in Deir al-Hatab town, east of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Coordinator of the Israeli Rabbis for Human Rights organization in the occupied West Bank, Zakaria al-Sidda, said the colonists flooded the olive orchards near Elon Moreh illegal colony.
He added that the Palestinian owners of the olive orchards have been isolated from them, and are only allowed to reach them twice a year through special permits and coordination.
The coordinator also stated that the colonists already picked many olive trees in the area, and stole the produce, especially since they have unrestricted access to the orchards.
Although attacks carried out by extremist colonists are frequent, including uprooting and burning Palestinian lands and flooding them with wastewater, they witness a serious escalation every year during the olive harvest season.
Coordinator of the Israeli Rabbis for Human Rights organization in the occupied West Bank, Zakaria al-Sidda, said the colonists flooded the olive orchards near Elon Moreh illegal colony.
He added that the Palestinian owners of the olive orchards have been isolated from them, and are only allowed to reach them twice a year through special permits and coordination.
The coordinator also stated that the colonists already picked many olive trees in the area, and stole the produce, especially since they have unrestricted access to the orchards.
Although attacks carried out by extremist colonists are frequent, including uprooting and burning Palestinian lands and flooding them with wastewater, they witness a serious escalation every year during the olive harvest season.
26 sept 2017
Several extremist Israeli colonists pumped, on Monday evening, sewage water into Palestinian agricultural lands in the al-Khader town, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Ahmad Salah, the coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Annexation Wall and Colonies in al-Khader, said the colonists, from Efrat illegal colony which was built on illegally confiscated Palestinian lands, flooded the farmlands in Wad al-Byar area with sewage water, destroying a large area planted with grapevines.
He added that this serious assault was not the first of its kind, and expressed concerns regarding the spread of diseases besides the destruction of plants and trees.
Ahmad Salah, the coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Annexation Wall and Colonies in al-Khader, said the colonists, from Efrat illegal colony which was built on illegally confiscated Palestinian lands, flooded the farmlands in Wad al-Byar area with sewage water, destroying a large area planted with grapevines.
He added that this serious assault was not the first of its kind, and expressed concerns regarding the spread of diseases besides the destruction of plants and trees.
23 sept 2017
The issue of farmers using sewage to irrigate crops in Marj Ibn Amer area in Jenin has caused extreme shock and dismay recently among the Palestinian society in the West Bank, especially since such practice has negative impacts on the national food security and the public health.
Manifestly, the absence of agricultural supervision and control by the Palestinian competent authorities has contributed to this problem.
Farmer Mohamed Abu Baker told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the lack of official supervision made things subject to the conscience of farmers.
“There are always those who are ready to sell out their conscience in return for money, and they persist in their wrongdoing when they do not find a legal deterrent or punitive measures,” Abu Baker said.
“However, this is not the behavior of the majority of farmers in Marj Ibn Amer and elsewhere,” he affirmed, pointing out that such practice became publicly known after several citizens found out about it lately and filed complaints in this regard to the authorities.
Negligence by the ministry of agriculture
The Ramallah-based ministry of agriculture is accused by citizens of neglecting its role in following up the agricultural production and activities and giving the farmers a free reign to do whatever they want.
The reality on the ground also says that the farmers do not even feel that there is a ministry of agriculture in the first place because of the absence of its regulatory role in overseeing their activities.
Additionally, a study conducted by professor of Botany Jamil Harb (Birzeit University) shows that a large number of Palestinian farmers utilize pesticides and fertilizers much more than the permissible amounts, which poses serious health hazards if people eat certain vegetables and fruits produced out of season.
The study affirms that Palestine has no system at all for examining the quality of vegetables and fruits produced and marketed locally to make sure they are free from pesticides that may cause health problems in case of excessive use.
This disturbing agricultural situation in the West Bank entails taking immediate action by the Palestinian ministries of health and agriculture to ensure the safety of local crops through dispatching crews to take samples for examination from all fields on a daily basis before allowing their products to enter the market.
Manifestly, the absence of agricultural supervision and control by the Palestinian competent authorities has contributed to this problem.
Farmer Mohamed Abu Baker told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the lack of official supervision made things subject to the conscience of farmers.
“There are always those who are ready to sell out their conscience in return for money, and they persist in their wrongdoing when they do not find a legal deterrent or punitive measures,” Abu Baker said.
“However, this is not the behavior of the majority of farmers in Marj Ibn Amer and elsewhere,” he affirmed, pointing out that such practice became publicly known after several citizens found out about it lately and filed complaints in this regard to the authorities.
Negligence by the ministry of agriculture
The Ramallah-based ministry of agriculture is accused by citizens of neglecting its role in following up the agricultural production and activities and giving the farmers a free reign to do whatever they want.
The reality on the ground also says that the farmers do not even feel that there is a ministry of agriculture in the first place because of the absence of its regulatory role in overseeing their activities.
Additionally, a study conducted by professor of Botany Jamil Harb (Birzeit University) shows that a large number of Palestinian farmers utilize pesticides and fertilizers much more than the permissible amounts, which poses serious health hazards if people eat certain vegetables and fruits produced out of season.
The study affirms that Palestine has no system at all for examining the quality of vegetables and fruits produced and marketed locally to make sure they are free from pesticides that may cause health problems in case of excessive use.
This disturbing agricultural situation in the West Bank entails taking immediate action by the Palestinian ministries of health and agriculture to ensure the safety of local crops through dispatching crews to take samples for examination from all fields on a daily basis before allowing their products to enter the market.
1 aug 2017
Israeli army forces continued to uphold the closure imposed on the village of Azzun Atma, to the south of Qalqilia, and banned non-residents from entry.
Abd Al Karim Ayyob, an employee at the village council, said that Israel set up a checkpoint at the northern entrance of the village under the pretext that Palestinians illegally enter Israel through the village.
Additionally, WAFA reported that Israeli settlers from the illegal Sha’arei Tikva settlement pumped sewage into the Valley of Beit Amin, near Azzun Atma, especially in the area where sewage remains exposed and left untreated creating health problems.
Abd Al Karim Ayyob, an employee at the village council, said that Israel set up a checkpoint at the northern entrance of the village under the pretext that Palestinians illegally enter Israel through the village.
Additionally, WAFA reported that Israeli settlers from the illegal Sha’arei Tikva settlement pumped sewage into the Valley of Beit Amin, near Azzun Atma, especially in the area where sewage remains exposed and left untreated creating health problems.
28 june 2017
Israeli settlers reportedly started a fire near the Palestinian village of Burin. in the occupied West Bank district of Nablus, on Wednesday afternoon.
According to an Israeli army spokesperson, suspects coming from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar approached Burin on Wednesday afternoon, igniting a fire on lands near the village before fleeing the scene.
The spokesperson added, according to Ma’an News Agency, that while the fire was extinguished by Israeli forces, no detentions were carried out at the scene, and that the case was transferred to Israeli police.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that he was not aware of the case.
According to footage shared on social media by Palestinian news agency al-Quds (photo), Israeli soldiers and police officers were on the scene protecting the settlers.
Israeli news outlet Ynet reported, on Wednesday, that the Israeli army has been increasingly struggling to handle Yitzhar settlers, notorious for being violent against both Palestinians and Israeli forces, as well as for their fanatical ideology.
Unnamed soldiers said that they had not been trained to respond to stone throwing by Jewish Israelis, and that they felt that their presence during clashes between settlers and Palestinians without intervening against the settlers was giving Yitzhar residents an impression of “legitimacy.”
The arson attack on Wednesday came as Israeli police spokeswoman Luba al-Samri said that investigations were ongoing against two Israeli settlers from Yitzhar who were suspected of throwing rocks at an Israeli ambulance, earlier this month. Al-Samri also confirmed the detention of an Israeli minor in connection with an attack against Israeli forces in Yitzhar, on Sunday.
The arrests marked a rare instance of Israeli settlers being held accountable for acts of violence, as a number of recent incidents in which settlers in the area attacked Israeli army personnel have gone unpunished.
Several settler attacks have been carried out in Palestinian villages near Yitzhar in recent months, including the destruction of some 45 olive trees near Burin, on Sunday.
PNN recently reported that Yitzhar settlers are continuing to dump their waste on agricultural land owned by Palestinians south of occupied Nablus, causing damages to the land and its owners.
Anti-settlement activist Bilal Eid said the settlers from Yitzhar continue their attacks against Palestinians, which have resulted in the death and injury of many citizens, not to mention damage to Palestinian property.
He explained that the dumping of harmful waste on Palestinian land, especially in the village of Burin, aims to pressure Palestinian citizens who live in areas close to the illegal settlements to leave their land allowing Israel to annex it to the settlements.
Villages and towns south of Nablus, including the village of Burin have repeatedly been attacked by the Israeli army under the pretext of providing protection for Jewish settlers living in the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, which is located on the agricultural land owned by Palestinians south of Nablus.
A number of Palestinians, including a 72-year-old woman and a shepherd, have been hospitalized since April following attacks near Yitzhar, as a number of Palestinians were shot by Israeli forces who arrived to the scene to “disperse” the clashes.
Palestinian activists and rights groups have repeatedly accused Israel of fostering a “culture of impunity” for Israeli settlers and soldiers committing violent acts against Palestinians, while Palestinians face up to 20 years in prison for throwing stones if intent to harm could be proven, and face a minimum prison sentence of three years for throwing a stone at an Israeli.
In March, Israeli NGO Yesh Din revealed that Israeli authorities served indictments in only 8.2 percent of cases of Israeli settlers committing anti-Palestinian crimes in the occupied West Bank in the past three years — in comparison to a 90 to 99 percent conviction rate for Palestinians in Israeli military courts.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law, with recent announcements of settlement expansion provoking condemnation from the international community.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there were a total of 107 reported settler attacks against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 2016, with 65 attacks being reported since the start of 2017.
According to an Israeli army spokesperson, suspects coming from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar approached Burin on Wednesday afternoon, igniting a fire on lands near the village before fleeing the scene.
The spokesperson added, according to Ma’an News Agency, that while the fire was extinguished by Israeli forces, no detentions were carried out at the scene, and that the case was transferred to Israeli police.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that he was not aware of the case.
According to footage shared on social media by Palestinian news agency al-Quds (photo), Israeli soldiers and police officers were on the scene protecting the settlers.
Israeli news outlet Ynet reported, on Wednesday, that the Israeli army has been increasingly struggling to handle Yitzhar settlers, notorious for being violent against both Palestinians and Israeli forces, as well as for their fanatical ideology.
Unnamed soldiers said that they had not been trained to respond to stone throwing by Jewish Israelis, and that they felt that their presence during clashes between settlers and Palestinians without intervening against the settlers was giving Yitzhar residents an impression of “legitimacy.”
The arson attack on Wednesday came as Israeli police spokeswoman Luba al-Samri said that investigations were ongoing against two Israeli settlers from Yitzhar who were suspected of throwing rocks at an Israeli ambulance, earlier this month. Al-Samri also confirmed the detention of an Israeli minor in connection with an attack against Israeli forces in Yitzhar, on Sunday.
The arrests marked a rare instance of Israeli settlers being held accountable for acts of violence, as a number of recent incidents in which settlers in the area attacked Israeli army personnel have gone unpunished.
Several settler attacks have been carried out in Palestinian villages near Yitzhar in recent months, including the destruction of some 45 olive trees near Burin, on Sunday.
PNN recently reported that Yitzhar settlers are continuing to dump their waste on agricultural land owned by Palestinians south of occupied Nablus, causing damages to the land and its owners.
Anti-settlement activist Bilal Eid said the settlers from Yitzhar continue their attacks against Palestinians, which have resulted in the death and injury of many citizens, not to mention damage to Palestinian property.
He explained that the dumping of harmful waste on Palestinian land, especially in the village of Burin, aims to pressure Palestinian citizens who live in areas close to the illegal settlements to leave their land allowing Israel to annex it to the settlements.
Villages and towns south of Nablus, including the village of Burin have repeatedly been attacked by the Israeli army under the pretext of providing protection for Jewish settlers living in the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, which is located on the agricultural land owned by Palestinians south of Nablus.
A number of Palestinians, including a 72-year-old woman and a shepherd, have been hospitalized since April following attacks near Yitzhar, as a number of Palestinians were shot by Israeli forces who arrived to the scene to “disperse” the clashes.
Palestinian activists and rights groups have repeatedly accused Israel of fostering a “culture of impunity” for Israeli settlers and soldiers committing violent acts against Palestinians, while Palestinians face up to 20 years in prison for throwing stones if intent to harm could be proven, and face a minimum prison sentence of three years for throwing a stone at an Israeli.
In March, Israeli NGO Yesh Din revealed that Israeli authorities served indictments in only 8.2 percent of cases of Israeli settlers committing anti-Palestinian crimes in the occupied West Bank in the past three years — in comparison to a 90 to 99 percent conviction rate for Palestinians in Israeli military courts.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law, with recent announcements of settlement expansion provoking condemnation from the international community.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there were a total of 107 reported settler attacks against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 2016, with 65 attacks being reported since the start of 2017.
3 june 2017
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip can no longer enjoy clean water and air on the territory’s beaches due to high rates of pollution, the local Environment Quality Authority (EQA) reported, this week.
PNN reports that, according to the report, 50 per cent of Gaza’s beaches are unfit for recreational purposes due to untreated sewage and waste water being pumped into the sea. An official study showed that they actually pose a serious risk to health and safety.
The sewage treatment works in Gaza have been targeted by Israel on a number of occasions and the Israeli-led blockade prevents spare parts from being obtained to carry out essential repairs.
Furthermore, the daily power cuts and fuel shortages mean that what little equipment is working cannot do so adequately.
The Gaza coast on the Mediterranean Sea is the only recreation area available for most Palestinians in the enclave during the summer. It is about 40 km-long, and there are nine major sewage outlets pumping some 1.1 million litres of raw waste into the sea every day.
This is having a major effect on the cleanliness of the Mediterranean Sea, warn local officials and experts.
PNN reports that, according to the report, 50 per cent of Gaza’s beaches are unfit for recreational purposes due to untreated sewage and waste water being pumped into the sea. An official study showed that they actually pose a serious risk to health and safety.
The sewage treatment works in Gaza have been targeted by Israel on a number of occasions and the Israeli-led blockade prevents spare parts from being obtained to carry out essential repairs.
Furthermore, the daily power cuts and fuel shortages mean that what little equipment is working cannot do so adequately.
The Gaza coast on the Mediterranean Sea is the only recreation area available for most Palestinians in the enclave during the summer. It is about 40 km-long, and there are nine major sewage outlets pumping some 1.1 million litres of raw waste into the sea every day.
This is having a major effect on the cleanliness of the Mediterranean Sea, warn local officials and experts.
11 may 2017
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics revealed that Jewish settlements flood the West Bank with 40 million cubic meters of wastewater annually. The annual production of wastewater in the West Bank, however, is 34 million cubic meters.
In a report issued on the 69th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, the Bureau said that Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) intentionally try to damage the Palestinian environment with wastewater of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Only 10% out of 90% of wastewater in the West Bank settlements are treated. The IOA disposes 80% of untreated sewage in the Palestinian valleys, the report elaborated.
The IOA also bans the establishment of wastewater treatment plants in the Palestinian towns, the report pointed out.
In a report issued on the 69th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, the Bureau said that Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) intentionally try to damage the Palestinian environment with wastewater of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
Only 10% out of 90% of wastewater in the West Bank settlements are treated. The IOA disposes 80% of untreated sewage in the Palestinian valleys, the report elaborated.
The IOA also bans the establishment of wastewater treatment plants in the Palestinian towns, the report pointed out.
Israeli bulldozers from Leshem settlement on Thursday morning carried out new digging and razing activities on Palestinian agricultural and grazing lands in Deir Ballut town, west of Salfit province.
Eyewitnesses reported that the bulldozers razed olive trees, agricultural lands and pastures specifically in the areas of ash-Shamiyat and Bab al-Marj, east of the town.
They added that settlers buried waste material in the area, voicing fear that the buried waste could be hazardous.
Leshem settlement, which was established illegally on annexed West Bank lands in 2013, keeps expanding at the expense of Palestinian towns in the area.
Eyewitnesses reported that the bulldozers razed olive trees, agricultural lands and pastures specifically in the areas of ash-Shamiyat and Bab al-Marj, east of the town.
They added that settlers buried waste material in the area, voicing fear that the buried waste could be hazardous.
Leshem settlement, which was established illegally on annexed West Bank lands in 2013, keeps expanding at the expense of Palestinian towns in the area.
13 mar 2017
A trip was staged on Monday by the Haris Secondary School in northern Salfit so as to keep tabs on the damage wrought by Israel’s sewage disposal pouring into Palestinian springs and valleys.
Participants in the tour, accompanied by the school headmistress and an instructor, headed to Wadi al-Matwi (al-Matwi Valley), west of Salfit and other areas that have been terribly tainted by sewage waste spilling from Israeli settlement outposts and factories built on Palestinian lands in Salfit.
Researcher Khaled Maali delivered an oral presentation on the tragic fallouts of sewage waste, mingled with industrial chemicals, pouring into Palestinian springs and streams.
Untreated Israeli sewage disposal forced dozens of farmers out of their own and only lands, Maali explained.
“Al-Matwi Valley, which had been one of Salfit’s natural masterpieces and a spring of prolific agricultural output, has been turned into a source of epidemics, infectious diseases, and stench,” the researcher added.
Maali warned of Israel’s nature protection pretexts and called on the concerned national and international environment institutions to pop in Salfit so as to scrutinize the damage and take urgent action as regards Israel’s systematic intoxication of Palestinian environment and natural scenery.
Participants in the tour, accompanied by the school headmistress and an instructor, headed to Wadi al-Matwi (al-Matwi Valley), west of Salfit and other areas that have been terribly tainted by sewage waste spilling from Israeli settlement outposts and factories built on Palestinian lands in Salfit.
Researcher Khaled Maali delivered an oral presentation on the tragic fallouts of sewage waste, mingled with industrial chemicals, pouring into Palestinian springs and streams.
Untreated Israeli sewage disposal forced dozens of farmers out of their own and only lands, Maali explained.
“Al-Matwi Valley, which had been one of Salfit’s natural masterpieces and a spring of prolific agricultural output, has been turned into a source of epidemics, infectious diseases, and stench,” the researcher added.
Maali warned of Israel’s nature protection pretexts and called on the concerned national and international environment institutions to pop in Salfit so as to scrutinize the damage and take urgent action as regards Israel’s systematic intoxication of Palestinian environment and natural scenery.
12 feb 2017
The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) renewed an order on Sunday to confiscate Palestinian lands in Beitunia town in Ramallah province for military purposes.
According to Quds Press news agency, the mayor of Beitunia, Rebhi Doleh, said that the IOA renewed an order to confiscate dozens of dunums of Palestinian lands in the town.
He added that a large area of Beitunia town has been confiscated on stages many years ago for military purposes, pointing out that the confiscation order is renewed every two years.
As part of the ongoing Israeli violations against Palestinian citizens, the IOA prevented implementing a sewerage project in the town although it is funded by a German foundation, Doleh added.
According to Quds Press news agency, the mayor of Beitunia, Rebhi Doleh, said that the IOA renewed an order to confiscate dozens of dunums of Palestinian lands in the town.
He added that a large area of Beitunia town has been confiscated on stages many years ago for military purposes, pointing out that the confiscation order is renewed every two years.
As part of the ongoing Israeli violations against Palestinian citizens, the IOA prevented implementing a sewerage project in the town although it is funded by a German foundation, Doleh added.