The Struggle For Land Rights Near The Gaza Border

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Sunday December 16, 2012 17:38 by Elric

Joshua Brollier writes on the latest shooting of a Palestinian farmer, Mohammed Qdeih, by the IDF. Joshua also documents the story of ninety five years old Ahmed Hassan Jabbar Qdeih. Ahmed tells how Zionist militias terrorized his farm in 1948. Ahmed was detained, along with his family, and taken to their house where they were forced to watch as his father was murdered in front on them. The militias destroyed their home, bombed the well and set ablaze 60 dunams of land. Additionally, they stole 60 sheep and two cows to take with them. Full text at link.

Yesterday in al-Faraheen, Gaza , Israeli Occupation Forces shot and wounded an unarmed 22 year oldfarmer, Mohammed Qdeih, from behind. Mohamed and nine others went out to their fields in the early afternoon, walking approximately 250 meters from the Israeli border. Within minutes, two heavily armed Israeli military jeeps rushed to the security fence. They issued a warning for the farmers and residents to leave the area and shortly thereafter the Palestinians, intimidated by the heavy military presence, began to head back tothe village of Abasan . The soldiers were not satisfied and opened fire, piercing Mohamed's right arm from the backside. Israeli forces continued to shoot rounds of live ammunition while Mohamed and the others frantically evacuated and waited for an ambulance. Another young Palestinian, 19, was shot yesterday near the border in Jabaliya.

Under the siege, Israeli “closed military zones” have confiscated up to 35 per cent of Gaza 's arable land, which was previously used for fruit and olive orchards, wheat and various vegetables. With nearly half of Gaza 's population designated as “food insecure” by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the farming industry having been crippled from the inability to export products under the Israeli blockade, this land is essential for the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and residents of Gaza . Even so and given that four Palestinians have been killed and over 50 injured since the November 21st,2012 ceasefire agreement, one might ask why anyone would risk their life and venture near the border at all.