Army Isolates West Bank’s Northern Plains

Sunday January 20, 2013 08:52 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Saturday evening - January 19, Israeli soldiers imposed a strict siege on the northern plains area of the occupied West Bank, and installed several roadblocks on main roads in the area.

Archive Photo - bokra.net

Eyewitnesses reported that the army closed the Al-Hamra and Tayaseer roadblocks, installed several roadblocks on main roads linking between different Palestinian towns and villages in the area, and on main junctions.

The siege was imposed after the army demolished several structures and tents that belong to Palestinian shepherds.

Aref Daraghma, head of the village council of Al-Maleh area and the Bedouin tribes, stated that the humanitarian situation in the area is very difficult, adding that entire families have been displaced and left in the cold.

Shepherds communes in the area have been targeted dozens of times, including several attacks carried out against them in the last few months rendering entire families of Bedouins and Shepherds homeless.

Thousands of Palestinians have been displaced and repeatedly removed from the area since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967.

Israel also demolished dozens of entire villages inhabited by Bedouins and shepherds as it does not recognize their communes and even their residency status in the occupied Palestinian territory.

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