The Israeli occupation authorities issued an order, Tuesday, illegally annexing privately-owned Palestinian lands in the al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.
Hasan Breijiyya, the head of Bethlehem’s office of the “Wall & Colonization Resistance Commission”, stated that the confiscated lands, approximately one dunam, are in the Ein Qassis area, in the western part of al-Khader.
Breijiyya added that the army decided to confiscate the lands to install iron gates on an agricultural road leading to the illegal Sidi Boaz colonialist outpost which was built on stolen Palestinian lands.
The official warned that the gate would block access to and isolate more than three hundred dunams of Palestinian lands, owned by various families, a move that usually precedes their illegal annexation.
Ein al-Qassis has been subject to frequent and escalating violations, starting several years ago, after the soldiers closed the roads leading to it, and imposed severe restrictions on the farmers, in addition to repeatedly assaulting them.
Israel is trying to control and illegally annex the remaining lands in the area for the construction and expansion of its illegal colonies.
