Troops bar farmers from reaching their lands east of Rafah

Friday February 15, 2008 06:04 by IMEMC Staff

Israeli soldiers stationed at the eastern borders of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, barred on Thursday hundreds of residents from reaching their agricultural lands as the army continued to carry invasions into the area.

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The Palestinian Popular (Folk) Committees slammed the violations and stated that these lands are the only source of livelihood for hundreds of Palestinian families in the area.

The Committees added that during repeated Israeli military attacks, soldier bulldozers uprooted hundreds of Dunams of agricultural lands and uprooted hundreds of trees in addition to bulldozing agricultural roads and damaged infrastructure especially the water network providing these land with the needed water.

Azmi Shiokhy, secretary-general of the Committees, slammed these violations and said that the farmers are afraid even to go to their lands as military towers are all over the place while military sharpshooters are topping several towers.

Shiokhy added that the army wants to intimidate the residents and carried repeated attacks against them, including firing at the farmers, in an attempt to force them to leave their lands.

He also stated that the ongoing shelling carried by the army bared dozens of farmers from heading to their lands, especially the lands that are close to the Rafah International Airport which was destroyed by the army several years ago.

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