Occupation confiscates 137.5 thousand dunams in Jiyus
The Israeli occupation army decided to confiscate 137.5 thousand dunams of farmers' lands behind the apartheid wall in the town of Jiyus, north of Qalqilya, threatening vast agricultural areas and the livelihoods of residents. The decision comes amid severe restrictions on farmers' access to their lands, and coincides with notifications targeting lands in Khirbet Qastina, east of Qalqilya, amid fears of settlement expansion.
The Israeli occupation army decided to confiscate 137.5 thousand dunams of farmers' lands located behind the apartheid wall in the town of Jiyus, north of Qalqilya. This step threatens vast agricultural areas and the livelihoods of residents, and comes amid severe restrictions imposed by the occupation on farmers' access to their lands isolated behind the wall, where their entry is subject to a permit system and complex security procedures. Concurrently, occupation forces issued notifications targeting citizens' lands in the Khirbet Qastina area, part of the town of Imatin, east of Qalqilya, amid fears that this is a prelude to seizing new areas for settlement expansion. The area of Imatin is about 7,346 dunams, of which the settlement of "Emmanuel" has seized about 160 dunams, while the bypass road No. 55 has cut about 30 dunams, and the apartheid wall route about 121 dunams. Over the past months, Imatin has witnessed continuous demolition and targeting operations, the latest of which was last July, when occupation forces demolished residential and agricultural structures in the Wadi Abu Yunis area, south of the town. These measures come in the context of ongoing escalation in Qalqilya Governorate, through land confiscation, issuing notifications, and isolating vast areas behind the apartheid wall.