Israeli army bulldozers, backed by security guards and military jeeps, began on Sunday to prepare the ground for the construction of the southern section of the wall.
Bulldozers are preparing the ground for around six kilometers segment of the wall.
The final route of the wall in that area is not agreed on among the Israeli different establishments. The construction of the wall in that region was suspended for rerouting since it enclaves lots of Palestinian areas.
As published last week in Haaretz newspaper online, ‘Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is at odds with some members of the defense establishment over the route of the southern section of the fence. Sharon wants the fence in the southern Hebron Hills area to be moved further to the north of the Green Line.’
The bulldozers began work yesterday along the route of the Patrols Road, which lies west of the Palestinian village of Beit Awa. hundreds of Palestinian laborers enter Israel for work on a daily basis from that area.
Israeli sources related the construction to the suicide bombing last week in Be’er Sheva. Haaretz said another Israeli source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the work is not related to last week’s attack.
Commentators said, the construction of this section of the wall was slated to start next year, however, Israel started early making use of the bus bombing in Be’er Sheva.
In its first reaction to the current construction, Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat condemned the latest construction Sunday. ‘This action totally destroys the road map,’ he said, referring to the U.S.-backed peace plan meant to bring about an independent Palestinian state by the year 2005.
A report prepared by the Hebron Land Defense Committees expert Abed Elhadi Hantash in August 2003, shows that the planned section of the separation wall south of West bank will deprive Hebron county from 49% of its land and leaves more than 60,000 residents west of the Wall.
Hantash said that the separation wall plan in Hebron area reveals the political aims behind the construction of the wall, which is to push the green line further deep into Palestinian territories and evacuate more Palestinian villages and towns.
“According to the Israeli plan, the wall would go as deep as 20 Kilometers at certain locations inside Palestinian areas. As well it will totally isolate the old city, Ithna village, some of Dura villages, some of Yatta villages, and Aljaba area.†The report stated.
According to Hantash’s report, all the settlements inside the City of Hebron and around it that was built on Palestinian expropriated land are to become west of the separation wall. In addition 7 Bedouin locations will be isolated west of the wall.
The report also states that 60% of Hebron’s county agriculture land will be isolated west of the wall depriving Palestinian farmers from their only source of living. 33,000 Dunams, which constitutes 51.7% of the total area of Hebron County, will be isolated west of the wall, therefore by de facto annexed to Israel.
