Enab Baladi – Besan Khalaf
The Quneitra province has witnessed, over the past week, a ground incursion by Israeli occupation forces, coinciding with the excavation of northern and western forests in the Jubata al-Khashab Nature Reserve, in addition to road blockages by establishing temporary barriers in several villages and towns of the province.
Activist Ahmad Kiwan from the village of Jubata al-Khashab told Enab Baladi that the Israeli occupation has begun a “systematic operation,” excavating the forests of the Jubata al-Khashab Nature Reserve from the northern and western parts, which extend from the village to the road leading to the village of Sahyata, connecting Jubata to the village of Hadr.
The Israeli occupation forces confiscated the fire safety observation tower of the reserve and established a military point on it.
Kiwan added that the nature reserve in its northern and western parts contains hundreds of years old pine and oak trees, as it is considered the lungs of the Quneitra province. The excavation of these trees poses an environmental disaster to the province and alters the climatic nature of the area.
Eviction orders
The surrounding area of the nature reserve in Jubata al-Khashab contains houses and agricultural lands for fruit trees, as well as others for livestock breeding. The Israeli occupation forces incursed on the third day of Eid al-Adha (on June 8 of the current month) and gave an hour’s notice to evacuate the homes located in the vicinity of the reserve to start the excavation operations.
According to Kiwan, who lost ten dunams of his land in Jubata al-Khashab, many residents of Quneitra have lost their homes and agricultural lands, which have been excavated or destroyed to control them in preparation for the establishment of military bases and observation points.
Former Quneitra Agriculture Director, Ahmad Deeb, told Enab Baladi that the Israeli occupation forces warned the residents in the al-Shahhar site west of Jubata al-Khashab, which covers an area of 510 dunams and is also one of the exemplary forest areas with a density of 90% trees, featuring fruitful pine and aged oak trees.
The evacuation warning from the al-Shahhar site came in preparation for its complete excavation, and more than 13 families live in this area, according to Deeb.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces dug a trench six meters deep underground and created a mound next to the trench that is four meters long. The residents of Quneitra are unaware of the purpose of this trench.
What is the area of the excavated lands?
Former Quneitra Agriculture Director, Ahmad Deeb, explained to Enab Baladi that the excavation in Jubata al-Khashab began after the Israeli occupation forces confiscated the fire observation tower there, as the Israeli forces started excavating lands around the tower, covering about 150 dunams.
Deeb stated, “The residents thought that Israel had stopped, but we were surprised by the commencement of excavation operations,” in the Taranjeh forest, which covers an area of 330 hectares, and the Jubata al-Khashab Nature Reserve, which has an area of 1330 dunams.
Israel has excavated about 1000 dunams of the Jubata al-Khashab Nature Reserve, which is considered one of the exemplary reserves in Syria, and according to Deeb, it has also transported natural oak trees that it cut down from the reserve into Israeli territory.
Since its control over Quneitra, the Israeli occupation forces have excavated 1860 dunams of pine forests in the village of Kodna over the past two months, as well as 50 dunams of the road that connects the city of al-Salam to Quneitra, which contains eucalyptus and cypress trees, according to Deeb.
Deeb indicated that the local community and the Quneitra Agriculture Directorate contacted the Minister of Agriculture, who in turn communicated with the Syrian presidency to intervene and stop Israeli violations and limit the excavation of agricultural lands that belong to the Syrian state and are utilized by citizens for livestock grazing and farming. Other lands belong to private citizens in the area.
According to Deeb, the Minister of Agriculture assured the residents of Quneitra that the Syrian government would negotiate with the relevant authorities to put an end to the Israeli violations.
Violation of international law
Journalist Nisrin Alaa al-Din from the city of Quneitra stated to Enab Baladi that the Israeli incursion and excavation of lands in Quneitra is undoubtedly considered “war crimes,” as the entity committing these acts is an occupying force of Syrian lands, which constitutes a blatant violation of international law that must be taken seriously.
What is currently happening in the Jubata al-Khashab Nature Reserve is not the first incident, as another reserve in the village of Kodna has previously been excavated. These acts are not merely transient violations but rather systematic practices that represent “war crimes” against Syrian lands, and the international community must act to prevent their continuation, according to Alaa al-Din.
The Nuremberg Military Tribunal Charter of 1945, according to Article 6, regarding violations of the laws and customs of war, considers “the destruction of cities or villages” and “the destruction not justified by military necessities” as a type of war crime.
Regarding the current government stance on what is happening in Quneitra, Alaa al-Din said that there is unjustified neglect and disregard, as several governors have been changed in a short period, despite Quneitra historically being a province of significant political weight and a pivotal role in the Syrian issue.
She added that Quneitra has witnessed protocol visits from a limited number of ministers while the Israeli occupation is only a few meters away, yet, “we have not sensed any practical steps reflecting a real presence or weight of the government in this sensitive area.”
The ambiguity and disregard for the situation in Quneitra have negatively impacted the residents of Quneitra, who feel abandoned in facing the Israeli occupation, as if Quneitra no longer holds a priority within the current government, according to Alaa al-Din.
She continued that the residents of Quneitra have today lost a vital economic source, perhaps the only source for some, whether through agriculture or by using the lands for grazing and livestock breeding. This loss has directly affected people’s livelihoods.
Intentions of occupation
Israeli affairs expert Dr. Samir Abu Saleh explained to Enab Baladi that Israel’s policy since 1948 has been based on annexing geography and altering demographics after expelling rightful landowners, under the pretext of ensuring its security.
Abu Saleh believes that the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights during the 1974 and 1967 phases resembles what Israel practices by occupying a large part of Mount Hermon, vast areas of Quneitra province, and the northwestern region of Daraa province, attempting direct engagement with the local population there and forcing some to abandon their lands and villages under the guise of searching for armed individuals and weapons that might be used against them, resulting in the excavation of hundreds of dunams of land in Quneitra.
The excavation of lands aims to clear the area and convert it into a desert-like zone for monitoring purposes. This also means eliminating the two most critical sources of livelihood for the local population: agricultural production and livestock wealth, in addition to transforming fertile soil into polluted soil that is unfit to return to its productive role, according to Abu Saleh.
Abu Saleh believes that all the field measures taken by Israel in Quneitra are aimed at maintaining occupation in the area for as long as possible, exploiting the political and military climate in the region. This explains Israel’s establishment of several camps and observation points there.
Israel’s establishment of advanced observation posts and helicopter landing sites in Quneitra, along with service centers and buildings for large numbers of military personnel, indicates that it intends to remain in the area for many years, despite the statements suggesting that Israel seeks negotiations, according to Abu Saleh.
Israeli excavation and eviction orders indicate plans to occupy lands in Quneitra Enab Baladi.
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