By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
The National Bureau for defending land and resisting settlements ( nbprs ) stated in its latest weekly report , that Palestinian commercial, industrial and agricultural institutions and entities unanimously refused to deal with the occupation authorities seeking to disrupt the Palestinian national stance through the annexation plans, and promises and/or through explicit Israeli threats to our people. Thus, the Coordination Council of the private sector institutions, and the Palestinian Agricultural and Industrial Chambers of Commerce, the Palestinian Contractors and Businessmen Union, and the local councils in the Palestinian Jordan Valley have called for total refusal of coordination with the occupation authorities and boycott of all direct meetings and contacts with its members, institutions and various apparatuses and warned of the consequences of departing from the position of the national ranks, calling to take severe legal, official and popular punitive measures against all those who begged themselves to deviate from the national position, and circumvent the decisions of the Palestinian leadership and the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, announced by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on 19th of this month.
Within the context, the continued Israeli occupation plans to accelerate annexations and impose full control over the Jordan Valley’s lands in the context of implementing the provisions of the “deal of the century”, which Israel has already begun to translate it n the ground as the so-called “Israeli Civil Administration” handed over directly the Zabidat and Fasayil councils Electricity’s bills without informing the Energy Authority and/or the Civil Liaison Office in the Jordan Valley.
At the same time, the occupation forces began removing concrete blocks and warning signs that were used to prevent Israelis from entering Palestinian areas in the Jordan Valley under the official agreements between the Palestinian and Israeli sides as is the case in the villages of Bardala and Kardala in the northern Jordan Valley, on which were written, entry to the Palestinian Authority is forbidden.
Moreover, the PM Netanyahu announced that the date set for the beginning of the annexation is the first of next July, describing the ‘deal of the century’ as the historical dream of the Jewish people since the establishment of the Israeli entity, adding this is the best ever deal that we have now. As for the possibility of granting Palestinians citizenship in the Jordan Valley after annexation, Netanyahu said that no one will be granted Israeli citizenship, and that they will remain as enclaves of the Palestinians, but security control will remain ours.
In the same context, the Israeli Occupation Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing to internationally promote the Israeli annexation plan for areas in the occupied West Bank by presenting the plan as an application of Israeli law in these areas, but not ‘annexation’ or imposing Israeli sovereignty. The new foreign minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, was quoted as saying that the US President Donald Trump has presented Israel with a historic opportunity to design its future for decades to come, noting the intention to move forward with the plan, and that it will be implemented with responsibility and coordination with the United States by maintaining peace and the strategic interests of the Israeli entity.
In the ongoing Judaization projects in Jerusalem, the Netanyahu decided to formulate a Judaization plan for Jerusalem at a cost of hundreds of millions of shekels, as he instructed the competent authorities to enhance the status of Jerusalem among the Jewish people as he claimed at a cost of up to NIS 200,000,000.
On the other hand, settlers from “Khafat Ma’on settlement” burned more than 30 dunums planted with agricultural crops, belonging to Palestinian citizens in the well-known area of Wadi al-Mishkha, located between the villages of Tuana and Tuba near Yatta. In Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, settlers under the protection of the Israeli occupation army seized vast lands between Deir Dibwan and Ramon villages, east of Ramallah after dozens of settlers stormed Al-Mazirah area and seized about 47 dunums, and began to bulldoze them. In the Salfeet Governorate, a number of “Riffa” settlers built on the lands of Haris village, west of Salfit, uprooted about 200 olive trees that were planted 10 years ago, which belonging to citizens in that region, causing massive destruction in them. In Jenin Governorate, the Israeli occupation forces seized agricultural land belonging to the town of Ya`bad, southwest of the governorate, where the occupation army contacted the landowner and informed him of the decision to seize his agricultural land adjacent to a military checkpoint and the “Dotan settlement”, and declared it a closed military zone.
Jerusalem:
- Forcing the Siam family in the Wadi Hilwa Neighborhood of Silwan in the occupied Jerusalem to self-demolish parts of their house on the pretext of not having a license.
- Distribution of demolition notices for homes in the village of Al-Issawiya, in the northeast of the city under the pretext of building without a license.
- Forcing the Mousa Kassab family in the town of Jabal Al-Mukaber, south of occupied Jerusalem to demolish their 85-square-meter house under the same pretext.
Ramallah:
- Wounding 2 young men by settlers in the village of Al-Mughair village, north of Ramallah, they were transferred to the Ramallah Hospital. The Israeli occupation soldiers arrived at the site and fired tear gas canisters towards the citizens.
- Handing over notifications and demolition orders for 21 Bedouin families living in Wadi Al-Siq community, east of Ramallah, under the pretext of being Israeli control areas.
Hebron:
- Running over 15 livestocks in Al-Dirahat village, east of Yatta town, killing 3 of them and injuring 12 others.
- Handing over citizen, Jamil Mahmod Rabba’ a notice of demolition of his residential tent in the Al-Fakhit area, and a tent citizen Anan Mohamed Hosheya in the center area, besides a notice to remove an emergency tent set up by the People’s Protection Committees to combat the Corona epidemic at the entrance to the Maghaier Al-Abed.
- Demolishing 3 agricultural rooms in the Farsh Al Hawa area, west of Hebron under the pretext of building without a license.
Bethlehem:
- Demolishing a barracks for livestock and tent room in the Za’tara region, east of Bethlehem.
- Order to stop construction on retaining walls and house floors of citizens in the city.
- Storming the Soleiman pools tourist area south of Bethlehem, and ban construction work at Hafriyah Building under the pretext of not having a license.
Nablus:
- Dismantling an agricultural room south of the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank under the pretext that it is located in Area C, between the villages of Aqraba and Majdal Bani Fadil.
- Destroying a house under construction in the village of Furush Beit Dajan, east of Nablus under the pretext of not having a license.
- Demolishing a resort in the town of Zawata, west of Nablus, and a tourist facility under construction in the town of Sebastia to the north of the city.
Salfeet:
- Notification order to demolish 10 wells in the town of Zawiya, west Salfit.
Jordan Valley:
- Demolishing 4 peddle-stand near the highway in the villages of Ein-Bayda and Bardala in the northern Jordan Valley, seizing their contents them.