Jerusalem, March 31, 2026 (WAFA) – The Jerusalem Governorate warned against the colonial plan No. (1627/7) known as “Shami Neighborhood,” considering it an advanced tool for re-engineering the Bedouin presence in the governorate’s desert, within the framework of the ongoing Israeli occupation policies aimed at changing the geographical and demographic reality east of the occupied city in favor of expansionist colonial projects, most notably the (E1) project.
The governorate explained in a statement issued by it on Tuesday that the occupation authorities deposited the plan on March 25, 2026, through what is called the Sub-Committee for Planning and Licensing of the Higher Planning Council in the “Civil Administration”, targeting the lands of the town of Abu Dis within Basin No. (4), in the areas of: Dhahr al-Raghabneh, Manazil Ali, Batin Bishara, Umm al-Shakhalib, and Dhahr al-Qararit, on an area estimated at about 169.9 dunams .
The governorate added that the plan aims to convert the land from its agricultural and open uses to an urban residential neighborhood within the “Residence B” classification, with the allocation of about 79 dunams for residential construction and more than 35 dunams for the road network, and imposing an urban density of up to 12 residential units per dunam, with heights of up to 6 floors .
The governorate confirmed that the plan directly targets Bedouin communities, including Khan al-Ahmar, Abu Nuwar, and Arab al-Jahalin, in addition to the communities of Wadi Jamal, Jabal al-Baba, Wadi Sneysel, and Bir al-Maskub, with the aim of forcibly displacing them to a closed urban community, which leads to the dismantling of their social structure and the destruction of their pastoral economy .
The Jerusalem Governorate pointed out that the plan represents an extension of the policies of forced displacement since 1997, stressing that the occupation’s claims of the approval of representatives of the Bedouin communities are not credible, in light of the absence of conditions of free and prior approval .
The governorate indicated that the plan is directly linked to the (E1) settlement project, which seeks to link the “Ma’ale Adumim” settlement to the city of Jerusalem and separate the northern West Bank from its southern part, which undermines the possibility of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state. It explained that the Bedouin presence is an obstacle to the implementation of this project, which explains why it is targeted with policies of dismantling and removal .
The governorate stressed that the plan violates international humanitarian law, including the absolute prohibition on forced transfer under the Fourth Geneva Convention, the right to adequate housing and livelihoods, as well as violating the rules prohibiting settlement in the occupied territories .
The governorate warned that opening a 62-day period for objection does not change the coercive nature of the plan, in light of the absence of procedural justice and the imposition of restrictions that hinder the ability of Palestinians to effectively object, calling on the international community to assume its legal and humanitarian responsibilities, and to take urgent action to stop the plan and support the steadfastness of the targeted Bedouin communities on their lands .
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F.A.
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