APAwire - APAwire CLIENTS ONLY, Jericho- 23 July 2022. Palestinians swim in Al-Auja River to cool off during summer in the West Bank city of Jericho.
RESTRICTION SUMMARY: APAwire CLIENTS ONLY SHOTLIST: APAwire - APAwire CLIENTS ONLY, Jericho- 23 July 2022. Palestinians swim in Al-Auja River to cool off during summer in the West Bank city of Jericho. STORYLINE: Ain al-Auja was declared a nature reserve with an area of 12,000 dunams (2,965 acres) as part of the Palestinian government’s National Spatial Plan. The plan was adopted in 2015 by several ministries to develop the areas in the West Bank in the economic and social fields based on spatial and geographical considerations. However, in May of this year, the Israeli authorities announced the expropriation of 22,000 dunams (5,436 acres) of land in the area, including the 12,000 dunums of the Palestinian nature reserve in Ain al-Auja. For Palestinians, the Israeli decision has political and settlement implications, as it will allow Israel to control these lands and prevent Palestinians from accessing them. Issa Moussa, director general of the General Directorate of Natural Resources at the Environmental Quality Authority, told Al-Monitor, “The 22,000 dunams that were recently expropriated in Ain al-Auja are agricultural lands. Israel first declares lands it expropriates as nature reserves, only to change this classification later and turn them into settlements and recreational areas for settlers.” He accused Israel of preventing Palestinians from exploiting their lands, knowing that the area in Jericho and its surroundings is considered the food basket for the Palestinian people. Footage by /APA
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