NABLUS, January 5, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli colonists have set up a new colonial outpost on Palestinian land in the village of Qaryut, located south of Nablus, in the northern West Bank, according to local sources.
Yusuf al-Haj Mohammad, the Deputy Head of the Qaryut Village Council, stated that the colonists began by setting up tents and are expected to gradually replace them with caravans before expanding further. Most of the land in this area is owned by Palestinian expatriates living abroad, complicating efforts to protect the land from the encroachment of colonial activity.
Murad Shtewi, the director of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission's office in the northern West Bank, warned of the increasing threat of land theft in the region.
He pointed out that colonists have been carrying out frequent attacks on local residents, including preventing them from harvesting olives and physically assaulting them. The latest incident involves the installation of tents in a deliberate effort to seize land and build a new outpost.
He urged landowners to report the situation to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission immediately, emphasizing the need for legal action to resist the colonists’ activities and prevent the illegal appropriation of Palestinian land.
Shtewi also noted that since October 7, 2023, colonists have become more active in expanding their presence in the northern West Bank, encouraged by Israeli government policies and actions.
He explained that the establishment of outposts has become a strategic part of Israel's plan to divide the West Bank, particularly in the northern regions, and sever territorial continuity for a future Palestinian state.
He further stated that Israel's plan to increase the colonist population in the northern West Bank to one million by 2050 is a clear indication of the ongoing silent annexation of Palestinian land. This is evident in the widening of roads, confiscation of resources, and provision of infrastructure such as water, electricity, and public services to the settlements.
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