OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center ) Settlers from the Kedar settlement attempted to seize around 400 dunums of land in the wilderness area of Al-Sawahra, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, while others carried out fresh attacks on Palestinian-owned land south of Salfit in the northern occupied West Bank.
According to a statement by the Jerusalem governorate on Thursday, settlers had placed dozens of mobile homes, erected electricity poles, and laid water pipes weeks ago on land belonging to the Abu Hussein family in the Abu Hussein plateau area. The governorate said the owners’ demands to remove these violations were ignored, reflecting Israel’s ongoing policy of Judaizing land and seizing it by force.
The governorate also reported that the Israeli supreme court held a session on Thursday to review the family’s case to reclaim their land. A new hearing date will be scheduled and communicated to the family’s lawyer.
The Al-Sawahra wilderness, which makes up the bulk of the Jerusalem desert area, is estimated at around 120,000 dunums and belongs to several Al-Sawahra families. The land includes areas in Abu Dis, Silwan, and Islamic endowment (Waqf) property.
This wilderness area serves as a vital geographical link between the northern and southern West Bank. However, it has come under a systematic settler-colonial campaign aimed at severing territorial continuity and controlling water sources. Residents face multiple attacks, including home demolitions, prosecutions, and assaults on property and livestock, all under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.
Separately, settlers attacked land belonging to residents in the al-Jeeza area of the village of Farkha, south of Salfit, on Thursday.
Local sources said the settlers demolished more than 200 meters of stone walls north of the village. They noted this was the third such attack, which also included the uprooting of olive trees.
In October 2024, settlers established a colonial herding outpost in the al-Batin area of the village, known as “Shoval Farm,” southwest of the Ariel settlement. Since then, the area has been subjected to ongoing bulldozing operations as part of the so-called “Greater Ariel” project.
