Gaza: Israeli occupation forces on Monday began bulldozing Palestinian-owned land between the villages of Mirka and Qabatiya, south of Jenin, to establish a military site and construct a colonial road. The operation involved the seizure of agricultural land and the forced eviction of a poultry facility belonging to Palestinian citizen Mohammad Abu Ma'ala.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the owner, Abu Ma'ala, reported that Israeli forces raided the area with bulldozers despite the landowners having filed a legal objection against the military order targeting the area. He noted that the occupation authorities had given the landowners 72 hours to vacate the area as part of preparations for establishing a military tower and constructing a colonial road, emphasizing that the bulldozed area lies between Mirka and Qabatiya and is classified as Area A.
He added that the forces raided his poultry facility, a closed 700-square-meter structure built on approximately two dunums of land, and forcibly evicted him before returning with bulldozers to raze the surrounding area. Abu Ma'ala expressed that the forced eviction resulted in significant financial losses, as the facility was fully equipped and ready for operation.
He stressed that the ongoing measures target the land, agricultural facilities, and the livelihoods of families in the area, especially as the bulldozing is accompanied by measures preventing landowners from accessing and cultivating their land. The occupation authorities had previously issued a military order to seize approximately 3.536 dunums of land belonging to residents of Mirka near Al-Hafira. The bulldozing is part of a series of military orders targeting land in Jenin Governorate, including orders to remove trees and vegetation and impose restrictions on land use.