Tag: Tawayel

Shelter and water tank demolished in the village of Tawayel

20th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Tawayel, Occupied Palestine

Today, 20^th of November, the Israeli army entered Tawayel, a village next to Aqraba, south of Nablus, to demolish a well and a shelter belonging to two families.

At approximately 6:00 in the morning, for the third time this year, around 30 soldiers arrived with seven military jeeps and three bulldozers to further demolish this side of the village where families have been living and farming the land for more than 200 years. These demolitions come just three weeks after the same family was victim to the destruction of another water tank and sheep shelter.

The families, with help from the municipalities in Aqraba, have attempted to challenge the demolition orders in the Israeli court several times since 2009 without success. The only exception was when the Israeli army wanted to destroy the electricity system which was funded by the Belgian government. With the diplomatic pressure of the Belgium consulate in Jerusalem, the electricity network was allowed to stay.

The demolition of the water tank today will prevent the harvest of vegetables; the major source of income for the family who built the tank ten years ago. Their income is now restricted to their sheep, which used to drink water from the now demolished water tank. The rain season, which usually starts in November, is late this year, it will hopefully begin soon but the wells will not be filled. The destruction of the shelter leaves the sheep and goats without a safe place during the winter months.

The homes and agricultural structures that the families currently use in Tawayel need reconstructing, and in order to do this the farmers sent several applications for planning permission, they did not receive a response from the Israeli government and this is why the administration declared those constructions as illegal. To this date the Israeli government has not approved any plans for refurbishment in Tawayel and therefore it is most likely that the families cannot build new water tanks and shelters without repeated demolitions.

Home demolitions in this village are strategic. Tawayel is located adjacent to the Jordan Valley in Area C where the soil is very fertile, provided that the farmers have access to water. Israel has many so called “economical settlements” in the Jordan Valley which produce vegetables and fruits for export, and these continue to expand, encroaching on Palestinian land.

According to international laws and the Geneva Convention, these settlements are illegal, but European countries still import products from these settlements. This summer the European Union issued guidelines to restrict commercial relations with Israeli settlements, it has yet to be seen whether this will have any impact.

Further Israeli army harassment in Tawayel

2nd November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Tawayel, Occupied Palestine

Today, Saturday 2nd November, a number of Palestinians supported by international activists traveled to the village of Tawayel to help rebuild a house for a family that was made homeless after Israeli forces demolished their property on Tuesday 29^th October.

By mid morning up to 60 people had gathered on the farm and electricity poles were replaced, however heavy machinery was forced to leave due to fears that the Israeli army would return and confiscate it. Work continued to lay the foundations of the replacement house by hand.

At approximately 3pm Israeli soldiers arrived shortly followed by two military vehicles. Israeli forces inspected the site but did not speak to anyone until the vehicles arrived. The Palestinians present were asked for ID and the questioning was aggressive, one Palestinian was threatened that he would “pay a price” for his involvement.

Construction has been halted as a result of the incursion and the family affected remain housed in a tent. Additionally their livestock are being watered from a truck at considerable expense, as the water reserve was destroyed in the same demolition.

Demolition order in the village of Tawayel

29th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Tawayel, Occupied Palestine

A family after their home was demolished

Today, Tuesday 29th October, Israeli soldiers invaded the village of Tawayel in the early hours of the morning to demolish several buildings and a water reserve. The demolition continued into the afternoon, where two international activists were detained before being released shortly after.

Early this morning at around 5am, the Israeli army arrived in Tawayel with several military jeeps and three bulldozers. They began by demolishing a sheep enclosure before continuing to destroy the house of one farmer. The former home of this family was completely destroyed, but Israeli forces then demolished a water reserve. This means the soldiers removed the water supplies for several families and their animals in the area.

When Israeli forces continued in their demolition by moving their focus to another house, used as a storage room, four international activists sat in front of the bulldozer to try to prevent the demolition. Several Israeli soldiers and border police told them to leave and when they refused, took one French activist and pushed her into an army jeep. Shortly after this, border police grabbed a German activist, handcuffed him and placed him in the military jeep. The farmers and the internationals then had to watch, while the Israeli army destroyed the storage room. After they were finished, they released the activists, without taking their passports or even their names.

Tawayel is a village close to Aqraba. The landscape is mainly desert, which makes it difficult for the farmers in the area to build a structured water supply. The village is Area B, but many farmers are living outside of the village, where there is more space for their sheep and animals. These farmers and their families have been living in this land for generations, though the army declared it Area C. Most of the houses the farmers are living in are quite old and in the last few years they constructed infrastructure to simplify water supply, they also built new shelters for their sheep in order to protect them from the summer sun, the cold in the winter and wild dogs. For these new buildings the farmers sent several aplications for planning permission, they did not receive a response from the Israeli government and this is why the administration declared those constructions as illegal.

This kind of structured demolition has happened before in Tawayel and the harassment from the Israeli army is ongoing, although they have never bothered to answer the permit requests from the farmers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx9YJTsK8