At a rapid pace, the Israeli occupation forces are working to build a separation wall around the village of Sinjil, northeast of the Ramallah Governorate, in the central West Bank, with the aim of tightening the siege on the village surrounded on all sides by a group of settlements and outposts that represent part of the Israeli plan to change the demographic and geographical reality in the West Bank. This step comes within the framework of a frantic campaign to seize more Palestinian lands, escalate settlement activities, and move forward with annexation plans.
The Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights refers to the International Court of Justice’s decision of August 2024, which confirms that the Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal, and that the occupying state of Israel is obligated, among other things, to cease all settlement activities and evacuate settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory.
According to field monitoring by the organization’s researcher, the Israeli occupation forces continue bulldozing within the lands of the town of Sinjil along a length of about 1,500 meters using heavy military machinery. This comes as part of a plan to build a concrete wall that isolates the town from the bypass road No. 60 used by settlers. Since the beginning of these works on September 28, 2024, large areas of agricultural land have been bulldozed and about 200 trees have been uprooted, including 135 old olive trees, in addition to the destruction of retaining walls.
In order to build this wall, the occupation authorities paved a road inside the citizens’ lands, 6 meters deep and 1,500 meters long, which was paved with a base course material, so that it is 14 meters away from the bypass road 60. This road connects the areas of the southern and northern West Bank, and passes through several Palestinian towns before extending towards the northern West Bank.
Effects of the Wall:
Completing the construction of this wall will implement a settlement plan that isolates the town from the Palestinian areas, and turns it into a besieged area surrounded by settlements, separation walls, and military gates. According to field follow-ups, the wall completely isolates the town from Road 60 and from about 8,000 dunams of its agricultural land. It will also isolate 15 houses inhabited by about 150 citizens, some of which date back to the period before the Israeli occupation in 1967.
According to Israeli plans, the height of the planned wall will be 4.5 meters, and about 30 dunams of Palestinian land will be confiscated under military orders issued by the occupation army. In addition, a security road will be built along the wall, along which occupation patrols will operate, isolating the town from its surroundings and making it difficult for residents to move around.
Escalation of settlement and siege:
Since the Israeli military attack on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the occupation authorities have imposed a tight siege on the town of Sinjil, closing the main entrances to the town and erecting a military gate on the southern side. In February 2024, the occupation authorities issued an order to confiscate 30 dunams of land in the towns of Sinjil and Turmus Ayya under the pretext of establishing a security fence. An additional order to confiscate 15 dunams was issued in August 2024.
According to the mayor of Sinjil, Dr. Moataz Tawafsha, the excavation works have exceeded the designated path for the construction of the wall, which threatens to destroy or isolate 13 homes from the town. In addition, about 8,000 dunams of agricultural land are now threatened with complete isolation.
Landowners’ testimonies:
Citizen Ayed Rajih Ghafri reported that the occupation forces arrived on September 24, 2024, and marked the olive trees to determine the path of the wall. Then, bulldozing operations began on September 29, 2024, which led to the uprooting of about 70 old olive trees.
Citizen Musa Samih Shabana reported that the occupation forces began bulldozing his private nursery in October 2024, where a road was paved for the wall in the middle of the nursery, which led to the destruction of about 200 olive, almond and grape seedlings.
Information gathered by the researcher of the Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights shows that the Israeli measures in the town of Sinjil, including the construction of the separation wall and the expansion of settlements, are part of a systematic policy aimed at seizing Palestinian land and isolating the town’s residents from their lands. The organization stresses that these measures constitute a flagrant violation of international law and calls on the international community to take serious steps to end these violations and guarantee the rights of the Palestinian people.
