Deir Al Ghasoon, Occupied West Bank; July 10, 2003

At 9:00 AM today 40 Palestinians and 7 international volunteers

attempted to pass through a gate in the Wall of Apartheid to plant

crops on their land that lies on the other side. Israeli authorities

have repeatedly assured the farmers that they would be allowed

through to tend to their land. Despite these assurances, 16 soldiers

and 4 Israeli policemen pushed the farmers and the internationals

back through the gate and closed it.

This is the first time that a group of farmers has attempted to

obtain access to their fields. Individual farmers have been

prevented access in the past.

The soldiers responded to attempts to negotiate passage through the

gate by pushing the people back and telling them that they had 5

minutes to vacate the area.

Local press was called but they were stopped by soldiers at a

checkpoint and were not allowed to proceed to the area to report on

the denial of access of Palestinian farmers to their land.

Deir Al Ghasoon villagers own 3000 dunams of land that lie on the

other side of the wall and 500 people depend on harvesting it for

their livelihood. This is only one of several villages where the

residents have been cut off from their land and wells.

ISM Press Release

10 July 2003



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