Three houses, roads and water pipes
demolished near Tuwayel village, southeast of Nablus.
Early on Monday morning, while the inhabitants of the village of Tell at Khashaba, near Tuwayel, were sleeping, 8 military vehicles, a large front end loader, a backhoe and 30-40 soldiers came to the village. Within two hours the military had demolished 3 houses, water pipes and roads.
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Photographs of the Israeli military taken early Monday morning by a
local resident
The water
pipes destroyed this morning were new and scheduled to be turned on Monday. The
Aqraba community had funded these water pipes as part of the municipal water
system. Of their destruction Sami Dariyah said: “They are trying to prevent
people from living in this area. This is their clear policy.” Because of the
continuing demolishment of houses, electric lines, water lines and other living
necessities the farmers have fled to the city of Aqraba and departed their
lands in Tell at Khashaba. Sami Direyah grew up near Tuwayel and remembers the
many houses and shops that used to be there.
Prior to the occupation a village of 18-20 houses, including a small
shop was here
Because of
the nearby illegal new settlement of Etermar, the Israeli military has declared
the village of Tuwayel and the area around it a closed military zone.
With an Area C designation the Israeli Military now chooses what buildings and
activities will be allowed. Sami wonders how their existing community, their
farms and their 100 year old houses can suddenly become illegal.
Even though
the 3 demolished houses were nearly 100 years old, dating from the British
occupation, they were all still active homes for families like the Mahers. The
residents of the houses were not given any warning the military’s planned
visit. Sofian Maher, a former resident of one of these homes, tells us that
this is not the first time the military has paid a visit to Tuwayel. In May of
this year the village’s Mosque was demolished by an Israeli military bulldozer
together with 4 other houses, 4 cottages and 2 barns. Less than 1 month ago the
power line was cut by the military, leaving the village without electricity.
Photograph taken by Bakr Direyah at the demonstration in May after the
demolition of the local Mosque
Sofian Maher and local resident near their destroyed home near Tell at
Khashaba
Sofian Maher
told us about how his family tried to rebuild their house after it was
demolished in May. While rebuilding, Sofian’s family lived in a donated tent
but the military returned to tear down the tent. The family then moved
into old stone huts that were built, long ago, to house animals while
shepherding. Periodically the military came back and destroyed the newly rebuild
portions of their house. The family is now trying to rebuild their home for the
fourth time.
To further
make the area uninhabitable the military dug out sections of the road going to
the farms that are left. No less than 25 places the roadway was dug out,
this included all of the culverts. In addition there was a long section
where the whole roadway had been dug out.
One of the demolished barns
This morning
3 houses were also demolished in Ramadin ash Shamali near Qalqiliya, Ramallah.
To improve
the military’s ability to return regularly to Tell at Khashaba they cut a new
road from the military base through the farmer’s fields and farms directly into
Tell at Khashaba.
Scott and Sophie,
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