Land clearance near Yafit settlement: JVS 25 Sept 2012Jordan Valley Solidarity volunteers have catalogued a new wave of settlement expansion south of Al Jiftlik village. On 25th September 2012 several Israeli Occupation Force bulldozers have been photographed clearing an area of approximately 1000 dunums. The land is between the Palestinian village of Al Jiftlik and the illegal Israeli settlement of Yafit. One this occasion all the land being cleared is between Road 90 and the mountains. It is in addition to land that was confiscated last year to both the east and west of Road 90.

Until now this land has been used by Palestinian shepherds to graze their sheep. By taking yet another area of land, their ability to survive in the Jordan Valley is further curtailed.

Further research has established that the land will be used by the settlement regional council, which is at the edge of the newly cleared land, and will be used for yet more industrial scale agriculture.

The Jewish National Fund is supporting this settlement expansion with funding for the contractors who will create the water, electricity and road infrastructure for this new settlement area.

This latest development is part on ongoing settlement expansion that is encroaching on the Palestinian communities of Al Jiftlik. Most notably, the expansion of Massu’a settlement through theft of land from Abel al Ajaaj community and the creation of a new settlement on the disused Gadi military base.