The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) on Saturday declared its decision to seize a vast tract of Palestinian land in Hizma town east of Jerusalem.
Hizma mayor Musallam Abu Helou said that the IOA handed the civil liaison office a written decision announcing its intent to annex about 500 dunums of land near the illegal settlement of Adam.
Abu Helou added that the annexed land would be used for settlement expansion.
Hizma town is encircled by four illegal settlements and considered the linkage between the north and south of the West Bank and one of the main gateway to Jerusalem.
Earlier on the same day the IOA announced a decision to appropriate about 124 dunums of land from the Palestinian villages of Majdal Bani Fadil and Duma in the south of Nablus.
Last Thursday the IOA notified the municipality of Ya’bad town in Jenin of its intent to seize 409 dunums of land belonging to the towns of Ya’bad Barta’a Tura Qaffin Araqah Zibda Nazlet Zeid and Dhaher al ‘Abed in order to build a separation wall.
