Ramallah, March 22, 2024: The CWRC announced that the Israeli occupation government has seized 8,000 dunums of Jordan Valley lands. The head of the Commission, Minister Mu’ayyad Shaa’ban, said that by the approval of the Fascist Occupation Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, to seize 8,000 dunums of Jordan Valley lands, the occupation government continues with its plan to seize control of Palestinian lands under various claims, including declarations of what is called “state lands”, the thing which eventually means that these lands are being transformed for the benefit of the colonial expansion.
Mr. Shaa’ban pointed out that the current year, 2024, witnessed the largest campaign to seize Palestinian lands, under the name of state lands, in three decades. The areas seized by the Israeli occupation under this claim is 10640 dunums in two separate declarations. The first of which was announced about month ago and targeted the lands of Al-Eizariya and Abu Dis, through which it seized 2,640 dunums. Meanwhile, the second, which is announced today, 22 March2024, targeted the Jordan Valley lands, with an area of 8,000 dunums, and aims at expanding the so-called “Yafit” colony which was established on citizens’ lands in the village of Fasayel in Jericho Governorate. Furthermore, 500 dunums were seized at the end of 2023 from Lands of Jaba village in Jerusalem Governorate.
Mr. Shaa’ban also added that all recent state land declarations aim at creating a link between the existing colonies, as what happened in the case of the so-called “Ma’ale Adumim” and “Kedar” colonies, as well as what happened in the case of the so-called “Geva Binyamin” and “Adam” colonies, the thing which caused the Palestinian villages be segregated and eliminated the possibility of their communication with each other.
Mr. Shaa’ban also stated that these two declarations of State lands in the Jordan Valley are considered a continuation of the colonial plan to control that area, which is considered as the strategic food reservoir for the Palestinians. However, this area is permanently targeted by many plans of forced displacement, colonial expansion, and denial of access. That is, more than 72% of the colonial agricultural outposts have been established there and became a starting point for gangs of colonialists who are called the "Hilltop Youth" and carry out many terrorist attacks against Palestinians.
In the same context, Mr. Shaa’ban urged citizens to follow up on thwarting these plans legally, by going to the Commission’s offices in order to find legal basis that frustrate the occupation’s claims. He also urges the citizens not to leave these lands, but rather to settle them, and to cultivate these areas, stressing that all the occupation’s measures violate international laws which prohibit the control of the occupying power over the territory under its occupation.