APN | Tarqumiyah – Hebron

2023

 

The daily challenges faced by the people of Tarqumiyah town in Hebron governorate are intensifying, primarily due to the continuous expansion of settlements onto their lands. This issue is further exacerbated by the presence of some areas of the town within Area C, which falls under Israeli administration according to the Oslo Accords.

Over the 30 years since the signing of the accords, the occupation has targeted the agricultural lands of the town, spanning approximately 20,000 dunums, as one of its objectives. The accelerated confiscation of uncultivated land has consequently included Tarqumiyah in the list of towns benefiting from the Million Tree Campaign in Palestine.

The occupation seeks to confiscate the lands of Tarqumiyah for the expansion of agricultural settlements "Adora" and "Telem", both under the jurisdiction of the Har Hevron Regional Council. This council encompasses all the settlements in the southern part of the Hebron governorate, strategically spreading to fragment the governorate and isolate its towns from each other.

In the case of Adora, established in 1982, the settlement is ideologically affiliated with the Hirut and Beitar movements. These movements have been involved in training young Zionists since the early twenties of the last century, instilling in them extremist teachings that advocate migrating to Palestinian territories through both legal and illegal means. Their teachings emphasize personal dedication to the establishment of a Jewish state "on both banks of the Jordan River". As for Telem, in 1982, its initial settlers were participants in the Zionist Nahal program, a program that combines military service and the establishment of agricultural settlements.

Supporting the people of Tarqumiyah is a responsibility, and in fulfillment of this duty, APN planted 2,500 olive trees on 100 dunums of its land. This land is owned by 169 Palestinian farming families, encompassing more than 730 members.