Gaza: Israeli occupation authorities today handed a Palestinian farmer an order to halt work and demolish structures at his farm, located near the separation wall west of Tulkarm city, giving him one week to file an objection to the order.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the farmer, Fayez Al-Tanib, stated that his family had received a notice in August last year ordering a halt to construction work at the farm before receiving the final demolition order today. He expressed that the 32-dunum farm had already seen 16 dunums seized for the construction of the apartheid wall. The remaining area hosts olive and avocado trees, greenhouses for organic vegetables, and fish farms.
Al-Tanib explained that the farm has been his family's source of livelihood for 42 years, having started working the land in 1984. His father had initially cultivated the land from the 1950s until he reached his eighties, after which Al-Tanib and his family took over its agricultural development and care.
He further highlighted the family's longstanding commitment to the land, despite a history of challenges. In the past, Israeli occupation forces have repeatedly used the site for military training and raids. Currently, the farm faces ongoing threats and the negative impact of chemical waste from the nearby Israeli Gishuri factories on both the soil and its produce.
Al-Tanib underscored that the family had continuously reclaimed, cultivated, and preserved the land, which has served as their primary source of income for decades. However, they now face a demolition order with just one week to file an objection.