'Azzun, Far'un
After hearing about theft of land in Far’oun, we drove there to speak with S.
‘Azzun was our first stop, to leave parcels at Z.’s shop. The army harasses the residents of ‘Azzun “only” occasionally. Military jeeps drive through the streets and cars entering and leaving are stopped. Random inspections. Today was quiet.
We meet S. at the Far’oun municipality, and a council member and the council secretary join us later.
On Sunday, 12.3.17, at 07:45, when the first farmers went through the checkpoint they found two pages on their land weighted down by a stone. That’s how the army notifies citizens that their land has been stolen. How long have the pages been lying there? No one knows. Since Friday? Saturday?
The Judea and Samaria commander, General Rony Noma, notifies the residents of Far’oun that the army had decided to take over 177.46 dunums. The block and lot numbers are specified, and perhaps the third page, that’s missing, contained a sketch or a map. Who knows? (I have photos of the pages)
The reason: Security, of course. To prevent anti-Israel activity.
The decree will come into effect on 31.12.2019 (that’s what it says! It’s not a mistake.)
The landowners may file an objection via the Israeli DCL within seven days. (When do they start counting the days?) How is it possible to get organized within a few days? How can they prove ownership of the land? Much work is required to obtain confirming documents from the tabu – land registry. Meanwhile, the residents of Far’oun haven’t done anything. A., the council’s accountant, is on vacation.
Later they learned other villages rhad eceived the same notice: Al Jaroshiyya, Kafin, Deir el Ghusun, Zeita and maybe others.
Meanwhile, two days ago the Palestine Government was contacted but they haven’t yet received a reply. As Dror Etkes thought, some have been aware of the decree since 2002, and for others it’s news.
Communication between the Palestinian DCL and the Israeli DCL breaks down only on matters relating to requests for permits to work land in the seam zone. Communication about other topics proceeds normally. Why? No one knows.
Yesterday and today the Palestinians submitted requests directly to the Israeli DCL and they were accepted. They were told to return Sunday to receive the response. We’ll follow up.
'Azzun
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Azoun (updated February 2019)
A Palestinian town situated in Area B (under civil Palestinian control and Israeli security control),
on road 5 between Nablus and Qalqiliya, east of Nabi Elias village. The inhabitants are allowed to construct and improve infrastructures. The Separation Fence has confiscated lands belonging to the town's people. In 2018 olive tree groves owned by one of its inhabitants were confiscated for the sake of paving a road to bypass Nabi Elias. Azoun population numbers 13,000, its economic state dire. Its infrastructures are poor, neglect and poverty rampant. In the meantime, the town council has completed paving an internal road for the inhabitants' welfare.
Because of its proximity to the Jewish settler-colony of Karnei Shomron and its outposts, the town suffers the intense presence of the Israeli army, especially at nighttime: soldiers enter homes, arrest suspects, trash the house and sometimes ruin it, as they do in numerous places in the West Bank. At times a checkpoint closes the entrance to the town, so no one can come in or get out.
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Far'un CP
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Far'un CP
A checkpoint near the Palestinian town Far'un, which is located near the Green Line, about 4 kilometers south of Tulkarm . About 5,000 residents (2018) 2,000 people moved abroad and their homes were left empty.
When the separation barrier was built in the early 2000's, about 4,000 dunams owned by the village were separated from the local farmers. In 2009, following a petition by the residents, the Israeli High Court ordered a change in the route of the fence. In May 2011 work began, and in 2013 it was completed. Following the movement of the fence, 1,400 dunams are located within the village area and for the 2,600 dunams remained in the Seam Zone behind the Separation barrier. The can arrive to these only through Far'un agricultural checkpoint 708.
MachsomWatch have been in touch with the village farmer since the early 2000s - visiting and documenting the checkpoint and the township . Over the years, the opening frequency of the checkpoint has changed from time to time: sometimes 3 times a week, sometimes twice a week, and sometimes it closed completely for a certain period without explanation. In addition - the checkpoint is opened usually only twice a day and this makes it difficult to cultivate, because the farmers are not able to stay in the fields all day. Throughout the years there were many delays in opening times the checkpoint and the farmers sometimes have to wait hours until they can go to work their plots.
The most difficult problem is the limited number of permits approved by the Civil Administration for the transition to tillage. Many landowners have problems with lands that are not registered in their name but in the name of a deceased father. Registering is very expensive if the father had several sons and daughters to whom the land belonged after his death. They have no money to transfer their father's land in their name. Before the walls, block settings and gates that do not open, they divided the plot they inherited and had no problems processing. Today everything is complicated. Plots that have not been cultivated for several years may become state lands and pass to the settlers, residents of the seam area.
Mar-21-2022Anin Checkpoint: A magnificent breach in the center of the checkpoint
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