Jerusalem Governorate: Occupation Deepens Isolation of Northwest Jerusalem with Contact Permits Leading to Silent Annexation

SadaNews - The Israeli occupation authorities continue to impose systematic isolation policies on the villages located northwest of the occupied city of Jerusalem, particularly the villages of Beit Iksa, Nabi Samuel, and the Khalayleh neighborhood, by classifying them as "contact areas" and forcing their residents to obtain magnetic cards and special permits to move to and from their villages.

The Jerusalem Governorate stated in a press release today, Thursday, that since the beginning of September, the occupation has started issuing what is known as "contact area permits" for the residents of Nabi Samuel, the Khalayleh neighborhood, and Beit Iksa, which means that no person without this permit will be allowed to cross the military checkpoint that separates the three villages from their surroundings, imposing a new reality of complete isolation and subjecting the movement in and out of these villages to what is called "military approval from the occupation".

The new decision requires residents to obtain special "magnetic cards" that are renewed every four years, while permits to enter the contact areas are granted for only one year and are exclusively designated for access to the three villages without allowing movement within the occupied city of Jerusalem.

According to the governorate, the area of the historical village of Beit Iksa is estimated at about 14,221 dunams, yet the occupation authorities seized 7,000 dunams for the benefit of surrounding settlements, and classified another 6,500 dunams as "Area C" where construction is prohibited. This leaves the residents confined to an area not exceeding 650 dunams, inhabited by about two thousand citizens. It is noteworthy that the occupation established a military checkpoint at the entrance to the village since 2013, which can only be crossed by those holding an ID card registered with the address of Beit Iksa. Today, the new decision adds to its isolation by restricting movement with magnetic security cards.

As for Nabi Samuel village, its total area is about 3,500 dunams, of which only 1,050 dunams are left for the residents after most of its lands were seized by the occupation. About 450 residents live in the village, suffering total isolation for years, as entry is only allowed for officially registered residents. The residents also face a ban on building or renovating their homes on the grounds that the area is designated as a natural reserve, while the seized lands are used to expand nearby settlements.

In the Khalayleh neighborhood, which is administratively part of the village of Al-Jib, 700 citizens live in this neighborhood that was isolated by the wall in 2004 and severed from the village. This neighborhood is part of the 6,000 dunams that were seized from Al-Jib's lands, leaving its inhabitants with about 3,000 dunams. Four Israeli settlements surround the neighborhood, which continue to encroach on its lands gradually. The same procedures have been imposed on its residents, including obtaining magnetic cards that are renewed every four years, while entry permits to the contact areas are granted for only one year.

The Jerusalem Governorate noted that, so far, the final number of people for whom the permits were definitively denied has not been announced. It is expected that the issuance of the remaining permits will be completed in the coming days. Information shows that the most affected groups include those classified as "security rejects," women who married outside the village, or those marrying within the village without updating their official addresses. The occupation prevents the updating of addresses in the areas of Nabi Samuel, Beit Iksa, and the Khalayleh neighborhood. Many residents living outside the villages have also faced difficulties in receiving their permits or delays in procedures.

The data indicates that the process of issuing permits was carried out during very limited days and hours, causing great suffering to residents who had to wait for long hours amidst inhumane treatment from the occupation authorities, who did not consider the health conditions of the elderly or sick.

The Jerusalem Governorate explained that entrenching this reality in the three villages represents a preliminary step to later expand it to other Jerusalemite towns or Palestinian towns in the cities of the West Bank, especially with the continued occupation installing iron gates at the entrances to the villages and cities surrounding Jerusalem and the West Bank. It indicated that the occupation deliberately applies its racist decision in a gradual and fragmented manner to avoid international reactions and create a new field reality that solidifies the complete control of the occupation over the movement of our people within their lands.

It added that, over time, it seems that Israel is implementing a policy of slow displacement without an official declaration, as these villages are gradually emptied of their residents through "security restrictions," preventing urban expansion and closing livelihood opportunities, turning them into semi-abandoned areas. Thus, the occupation's goal of Judaizing the land is achieved, which is the essence of the creeping annexation policy that aims to solidify Israeli control over the surroundings of the city of Jerusalem and effectively annex it without the need for a legal declaration.

The governorate called on local and international human rights organizations, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the United Nations Human Rights Council to take immediate and urgent action to stop these violations and hold the occupation authorities accountable for their blatant breaches of international law, and to work to halt their procedures and prevent their recurrence in other Palestinian villages and neighborhoods.

It also urged Palestinian, Arab, and international media to highlight this serious political and legal issue as part of the system of forced displacement and collective punishment that Israel practices against Palestinian citizens in Jerusalem and its suburbs, emphasizing that international silence on such practices encourages the occupation to proceed with its crimes against the land and the Palestinian people.

It confirmed that it is following up on the issue in coordination with the relevant Palestinian official and human rights bodies, headed by the Human Rights Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization, in order to activate international legal pathways and document this crime with the intent of raising it to the relevant UN authorities.