It is adjacent to “Ras Al-Ain”, which extends for 12 kilometers and includes springs over a length of 27.5 kilometers.

Israel deprives 7,000 Palestinians of Al-Auja water, and destroys agriculture there

  • The occupation confiscates the lands of “Al-Auja” to expand the borders of the settlements.

    Emirates today

  • Moataz Bisharat: "The flow of water in the spring of Auja has now decreased dramatically, forcing the people of (Al-Auja) to buy the water confiscated from them from the Israeli water company (Mekorot)."

  • Salah Frejat.

    Emirates today

  • The occupation confiscated 67% of the agricultural lands of Al-Auja.

    Emirates today

  • Agriculture is the only source of livelihood for the people of Al-Auja.

    Emirates today

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To the northeast of the city of Jericho near the Jordan River, the town of “Al-Auja” in the northern Jordan Valley occupies the throne of the Palestinian towns in possession of water resources. It extends 27.5 kilometers, in addition to its location above the eastern water basin.

The water resources in the Palestinian town feed 7,000 Palestinians who live on its land, and it is considered a major artery for agricultural and animal wealth in it. As a result, the Israeli occupation confiscated more than 90% of the water resources inside it, turning the “Auja” adjacent to a running river of water into a barren, thirsty desert. .

The siege of Al-Auja and the confiscation of its water

After the occupation confiscated the sources of fresh water, which extends between the Jordan River and the waters of the valleys and mountain peaks, all the way to the town of “Al-Auja”, it headed towards the wells and lands of the Palestinians, aiming for the five settlements that are located on the lands of the Palestinian town, which surround it from all directions.

Moataz Bisharat, the official in charge of the northern Jordan Valley file in the Palestinian governorate of Tubas, said in an interview with Emirates Today that the occupation acquired the vast majority of the waters of "Al-Auja" and its eastern basin, and transferred it to the settlements of "Naran", "Natif", and "Omer". And Etaf, and Tomer.

He adds, “The water flow in the Al-Auja spring has now decreased dramatically, forcing the people of Al-Auja to buy the water confiscated from them from the Israeli Water Company (Mekorot), which has taken control of the water sources in the (Ain Al-Auja) area, or as it is called, (Rass). Al-Ain), to provide their daily essential needs.

The official in charge of the Jordan Valley file points out that the occupation aspires to take full and absolute control over the Ras al-Ain area, which has abundant water, to annex it to the settlement borders, and to carry out expansion operations inside it, after previously robbing more than 2,000 dunums of its total area of ​​22,000 dunums.

And last May, the Israeli Civil Administration issued a military order declaring the “Ein Al-Auja” area a natural reserve, with the aim of controlling all its lands and confiscating them, to be the largest Palestinian area within the cities of the West Bank declared by the occupation as a natural reserve since the signing of the “Oslo Accords.”

A quarter of the area of ​​​​"Ain al-Auja" is private property of the Palestinians, while the occupation classifies 75% of its land area as "state lands", while the Israeli Civil Administration's decision restricts the Palestinians' use of their privately owned lands, and the military order also includes the Palestinian land flats in the area within Department of Judaization and settlement schemes.

Extermination of agricultural activities

As a result of the confiscation of the water sources in the village, the occupation annihilated the agricultural activity in it, which is the main source of livelihood for the people, due to its reputation for cultivating dates and producing dates. The area allocated for agriculture in the region reaches 35 thousand dunums.

On the other hand, the Israeli occupation has confiscated 67% of its total area of ​​107 thousand dunums, which is characterized by its high fertility, for the purposes of settlement expansion, while the occupation prevents its owners from entering or approaching it, according to the former mayor of Al-Auja, Salah Freijat.

Freijat says: “The volume of the production capacity of Al-Awja water ranges between 1,800 and 2,000 cubic meters per hour, which is used for domestic needs and agriculture. Fresh springs.

He explains that "the wells dug by the occupation are less deep than the water basin of the springs, and therefore do not reach the Palestinian lands and homes, and go directly to the settlements that devoured the lands surrounding the Ras al-Ain area."

Freijat points out that the five settlements cultivate the confiscated lands with confiscated Auja water, which produces tens of thousands of dunams of olives, palm dates, grapes, roses, and medicinal herbs. On the other hand, Auja farmers suffer heavy losses as a result of the scarcity of water sources, and the confiscation of dunums of their agricultural land.

• Last May, the Israeli Civil Administration issued a military order declaring the "Ein Al-Auja" area a natural reserve, with the aim of controlling all its lands and confiscating them, to be the largest Palestinian area within the cities of the West Bank declared by the occupation as a natural reserve, since the signing of the "Oslo Accords". .

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