هيئة مقاومة الجدار والاستيطان

Ramallah, November 3, 2024: The Head of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Minister Mo’ayyad Sha’ban, stated that the Israeli occupation forces and colonizers committed 1490 attacks last October, in a continuation of the series of terrorism perpetrated by the occupation state against the Palestinian people, their lands, and property.

Mr Sha’ban explained in the commission’s monthly report, “The Israeli Occupation Violations and Colonial Expansion Measures”, that the occupation army carried out 1130 attacks, while the colonizers carried out 360 attacks. Most of these attacks were concentrated in the governorates of Nablus with 307 attacks, Hebron with 280 attacks, and Jerusalem with 179 attacks.

He pointed out that these attacks ranged from armed attacks on Palestinian villages to imposing facts on the ground, carrying out field executions, sabotage, levelling lands, uprooting of trees, seizure of property, and closures and checkpoints that sever the ties of Palestinian geography.

Mr Sha’ban pointed out that the colonizers' attacks, which reached 360 attacks, were concentrated in the Nablus Governorate with 108 attacks, the Hebron Governorate with 81 attacks, the Ramallah Governorate with 48 attacks, the Salfit Governorate with 40 attacks, the Bethlehem Governorate with 37 attacks, and the Tulkarm Governorate with 19 attacks.

Mr Sha’ban added that the colonizers carried out 245 acts of vandalism, obstruction, and theft targeting Palestinian olive pickers, including 26 cases of olive crops theft, 22 cases of harvesting equipment theft, as well as the theft of 15 tents and caravans belonging to residents and 3 vehicles. Colonizer attacks also resulted in the uprooting of 1,401 trees, including 1,339 olive trees. These uprootings were distributed in various governorates as follows, the governorate of Hebron with 740 trees, Nablus with 193 trees, Ramallah with 178 trees, Bethlehem with 160 trees, Salfit with 100 trees, and Qalqilya with 30 trees.

Mr Sha’ban explained that the current olive harvest season is witnessing an unprecedented wave of terrorist attacks, orchestrated by the official establishment in the occupation state, by unleashing colonizers’ militias against unarmed farmers peacefully working on their land. He added that the occupation state targets the olive harvest season for its deep symbolism reflecting the indigenous bond between the Palestinian people and the land. Everything the occupation state is doing now aims to disrupt this strong relationship with the land, in clear, declared plans to control Palestinian geography and prevent citizens from accessing it.

Mr Sha’ban stated that Palestinian citizens, through their steadfastness on the land and determination to reach the olive fields has thwarted the colonizers' premeditated plans. They have brought to the forefront the courage of the Palestinian landowners, who do not yield to terrorism nor retreat.

He added that the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, along with partner institutions and popular committees, has enabled citizens to access vast areas that colonizers’ militias had closed off for years in preparation for taking control, through the “National Olive Harvest Campaign”. He affirmed that the success of this season is undoubtedly a failure of the occupation’s plans.

Mr Sha’ban pointed out that colonizers have attempted to establish 7 new colonial outposts since early October, mostly agricultural and pastoral. These outposts are spread across different areas: three in Hebron, one in Ramallah, another in Jerusalem, one in Salfit, one in Tulkarm, and a final one also in Ramallah. MR Sha’ban confirmed that the decision to establish these colonial outposts comes under directives from within the occupation's cabinet, which sponsors the settler-colonial project and provides support to colonizers’ militias to carry out plans for land seizure and forced displacement. The occupation government later works to formalize these measures into a permanent reality.

Mr Sha’ban stated that, in October, the occupation authorities seized 84 dunums of citizens' land in the governorates of Jerusalem, Jenin, and Salfit through three documented military orders aimed at imposing new realities under the pretense of security and military purposes. One of these military orders involves constructing a road to replace the main road for Salfit. After reviewing the maps of the military order, it became clear that the occupation army was deceiving citizens who might contest the decision in court by claiming that the seizure was for security reasons. In reality, the military order seeks to control the future use of the road under the pretext of security and military needs, preventing citizens from objecting to closing off the original road, which has been designated exclusively for the colonizers of Ari’el, while controlling the opening of the second road.

Mr Sha’ban noted that during October, the occupation authorities carried out 34 demolition operations affecting 45 facilities, including 12 inhabited homes, 6 uninhabited homes, and 19 agricultural and other types of facilities. The majority of these demolitions were concentrated in Hebron, with 16 facilities demolished, followed by the governorates of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where 4 facilities were demolished in each. Mr Sha’ban indicated that the occupation authorities issued 38 notifications for the demolition of Palestinian facilities, primarily concentrated in Jenin with 17 notifications, followed by Jericho with 8 notifications, Jerusalem with 7 notifications, and Hebron with 5 notifications.

Mr Sha’ban indicated that planning authorities in the occupation state studied a total of 14 master plans (approved and deposited) in October to expand colonies in the West Bank and Jerusalem. This included the approval of 7 master plans, while an additional 8 plans were submitted. The plans targeting the West Bank aimed to build a total of 1,151 colonial units on approximately 584 dunums of citizens' land, while the plans within the boundaries of Jerusalem aimed to construct 500 colonial units on about 107 dunums of citizens' land. Upon reviewing the maps and attached files of the plans, it became clear that the occupation intends to "legalize" a new colony outpost through plan number יוש/ 8/ 237, considering it a new colonial neighborhood affiliated with the colony of Eli, established on citizens' land south of Nablus Governorate.