PARC denounced the Israeli occupation forces attack, which destroyed one of its “land reclamation projects” in the village of Deir Estia. On Thursday, 02/24/2011 the Israeli occupation forces accompanied with a group of heavy machinery destroyed PARC’s implemented project on the land owned by the farmer Mohammed Abdul Rahim Zeidan; one of a group of farmers benefiting from PARC’s “reclamation project” integrated in the village of Deir Estia. The previously mentioned project comes within the program of “Improving Livelihood in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (WB&GS)” Funded By: Netherlands Representative Office (NRO). This program is being implemented in partnership with a group of local NGOs working in the agricultural sector under PARC’s management, The program aims to contribute in the improvement of access to food for vulnerable population in rural areas who suffers from lack of food security in the West Bank through the protection and development of access to natural sources in more than (75) villages.

In this regard, the Project Manager of this PARC’s project, Eng. Muqbel Abu Jesh, has indicated that the occupation forces have destroyed the retaining walls, planted seedlings and the built fence around the lands where the cost of the works produced was estimated with approximately 20,000 NIS. In addition, the Israeli occupation forces are blocking and hindering the implementation of constructing and opening agricultural roads in the western area of the village of Deir Estia as well as they are working on and supporting the expansion of settlements on the village’s lands.

Moreover, Abu Jesh said that the occupation forces are escalating their attacks on the recent projects that are being implemented by PARC in the villages of (Deir Estia, Kufr al-Dik, Salfeet), either by causing complete destruction or by preventing the farmers from completing the work in their projects in the previously mentioned villages, where PARC is working on implementing agricultural projects; such as reclamation and rehabilitation of agricultural roads, in villages that are considered the most affected by the expansion of the Israeli settlements on the Palestinian agricultural land.
He also emphasized that despite all the Israeli practices, PARC will continue to support the Palestinian farmers by all means and possibilities available at hand, giving a special focus in its services to the areas that suffers most from attacks by the Israeli occupation and settlers.

Eng. Abu Jesh appealed to all human rights organizations to expose the practices and acts of aggression carried out by Israeli occupation forces on the Palestinian farmers; land leveling, cutting of trees, and dominating water sources. He also highlights the organized settlers attacks, under the protection of the Israeli military forces, where the cut and burn thousands of fruit trees in different parts of the Palestinian occupied territories.