Palestine will remain the Habitat for Palestinians… Leading Dignified Lives… or Martyrs 7 Feet under

While the citizens of the world are preparing to mark the World Habitat Day, a day to reflect on the status of the human settlements and the right to adequate housing, the Israeli Occupation is strangling the Palestinians and their lands. The occupiers who owned less than 8 % of the area of historical Palestine are now offering the Palestinians no more than 8 % of their lands in the shape of detached and disconnected ghettos.

The occupiers destroyed more than 480 Palestinian towns and villages since 1948; 38 villages in Jerusalem alone. They also displaced over 750,000 Palestinians in addition to the destruction of Al Latron villages and the raising of over 5000 residences in the process; the Israelis have also knocked down 125 residence in the third day of the 1967-war.

Since the occupation of East Jerusalem, the Israeli Occupation Authorities demolished over 3000 Palestinian residences. In 2011, 44 residences were demolished in East Jerusalem while 36 others were demolished so far in 2012. It must be noted that East Jerusalem was inhabited by 70,000 Palestinians in 1967; now, over 350,000 Israeli colonists reside in the Occupied City.

As for areas classified `C` according to Oslo Accords, 161 residences were demolished and 1057 people were displaced in 2011. In 2012, 118 residences were demolished while 758 people were displaced so far not to mention the thousands of demolition orders awaiting execution.

These aggressions are not limited to the West Bank, Palestinian communities in Negev, Galilee, Jaffa, etc suffer from similar aggressions; Al Araqeeb village has been the most recent example of the Israeli discriminatory policies.

The Palestinian ownership have been reduced to alarming levels in the past decades as most of the Palestinian communities are surrounded by colonies, bypasses, and the segregation wall beside the colonists aggressions which are done under the protection, probably supervision, of the Israeli Occupation Army.

Despite, the Palestinian environmental and agricultural organizations are cooperating with the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture to rehabilitate and reclaim around 3000 dunums of Palestinian lands every year to reduce the damage inflicted by the Israeli measures. 

LRC Land Suitability for Reclamation study classified the lands of the West Bank according to possibilities and feasibility of reclamation; this innovative study place the cornerstone for the future plans for development of the rural and urban areas to guarantee optimum exploitation of natural resources in spite of the presence of the Occupation which disregards the international law or any signed agreement.

The Palestinians are determined to remain in their lands even if they had to use tents in the summer and caves in the winter as shelters notwithstanding oppression; defying the Israeli Occupation and in continuation of their struggle to gain their rights.

Our people will never give up their dreams, will never succumb, and will never feel that what remained is worthless; they will always keep their dreams alive, to infinity, and beyond….