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Bil'in Villagers 'resettle' confiscated land
Bil'in Villagers 'resettle' confiscated land
Villagers from Bi'lin have moved onto a part of their land that will be taken by the construction of the apartheid wall around the village. The action is an attempt to reclaim the land which is being used for the illegal expansion of the nearby Israeli settlement of Modein Illit .
8 villagers, including a young girl, have moved into a caravan placed on the confiscated land after receiving a permit to do so from the municipal council in Bil'in. 1 Israeli and 3 international activists have joined them in the caravan.
The action follows a decision of the Israeli High court last week which declared that the construction of new buildings for the Israeli settlement illegal. Despite the courts decision construction work has continued without interference from the authorities.
According to Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, member of the popular committee in Bil'in and one of the residents in the caravan, "we have put the caravan on our land and we want to stay here. If the army wishes to remove us then it must first remove the illegal settlement."
The action also follows 10 months of non violent actions and demonstrations against the wall, which will de facto annex 60% of the land belonging to Bil'in to Israel.
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