RAMALLAH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A 3,500-dunum of land devoted for future economic and industrial investment in the West Bank, is facing a serious threat of an Israeli confiscation, although it is owned by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), officials revealed on Thursday.
The officials said the Israeli authorities had recently sent written warrants of confiscation of these lands to the PNA. The land, which is near the West Bank town of Jericho, is leased to private sector companies, owned by the PNA ministry of Islamic properties, or Waqf and used for agricultural purposes.
The Palestinian companies are growing 45,000 palm trees planted in the area for producing dates. The companies export every year around 700 tons of dates to Arab and foreign countries, in addition to the local markets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Majed al-Fityani, the Palestinian governor of Jericho told Xinhua that the Israeli authorities' warrants of confiscating the land "is illegal stealing and violates all laws and conventions," adding that the PNA has official documents showing that the land is a Palestinian Islamic "Waqf".
The Palestinian investment in the threatened land exceeded 50 million U.S. dollars, and the losses will be disastrous if the land gets confiscated.
The Israeli authorities warrant of confiscation gave the private sector companies and the PNA a 40 day ultimatum to cut the palm trees and evacuate the land. The private sector companies are planning to appeal to the Israeli courts in order to stop the Israeli confiscation of the land.
Allam Nassar, the official in one of the companies for fresh and dried fruits, told Xinhua that the legal appeal to the court will include all the official documents which show that the land is owned by the Palestinians and Israel has no right to confiscate it.
"My company is using 1,300 dunums and it began its project of investment in 2006," said Nassar, adding that he has an official signed contract between his company and the PNA "for renting the land for 25 years, where the products of fruits, mainly dates are exported to the Arab gulf state."
Mahmoud al-Habash, the PNA minister of Waqf told Xinhua that his ministry is hardly working on the legal registration of properties, mainly lands allover the Palestinian territories "in order to be able to legally confront the Israeli attempts of confiscating our lands for the expansion of settlements."
According to Oslo interim peace treaty signed in 1993 between Israel and the Palestinians, the West Bank was divided into three areas. Area (A) under the full Palestinian jurisdiction, area (B) jointly controlled by the two side and area (C) which represents 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control.
The PNA is accusing Israel of confiscating the Palestinian lands in the West Bank for the expansion of Jewish settlements. The Issue of settlement was the major reason for suspending the direct peace talks between the two side in October 2010.
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