Palestinian farmer Daoud Nassar has spent 35 years battling Israeli authorities to legally register his 42-hectare family farm located in Area C of the occupied West Bank, according to reports from NOS Nieuws. Despite holding century-old Ottoman, British Mandate, and Jordanian land deeds, the family faces ongoing legal hurdles and state land declarations that human rights organizations say are designed to expand nearby illegal Israeli settlements.
Historical Land Deeds and Ottoman Ownership Records
The disputed farm sits on a hilltop southwest of Bethlehem, where Nassar and his family cultivate grapes, olives, figs, and almonds. According to NOS Nieuws, Nassar’s grandfather purchased the property over 100 years ago and officially registered the transaction under the Ottoman authorities who governed the region at the time. The family also maintains deeds from the British Mandate period and documentation from the era when Jordan administered the territory.
Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Israeli military authorities occupied the West Bank. In 1991, the military administration declared the Nassar family estate to be state land. Although the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that the property was not state land and directed the family to renew its registration, Nassar has not secured the new paperwork. Attorney Sani Khoury, who represents the family from his office in East Jerusalem, stated that authorities rejected the documents because a boundary name was mistranslated from Arabic to English. Khoury noted that the family possesses genuine 1924 and 1925 British registration documents confirming ownership.
Encroaching Settlements and Unpaved Military Roads
Surrounding the Nassar family farm are unauthorized settlements and outposts that violate international law, according to human rights reports. Daoud Nassar noted that a nearby outpost grew from two mobile homes into a cluster of approximately 25 structures over recent years. Furthermore, settlers have constructed unpaved access roads across portions of the family’s valley land.
According to Nassar and his attorney, the Israeli military designated one of these newly carved routes as a military road. Attorney Khoury explained that the military can seize property on security grounds, meaning that even successful land registration might not protect the farm from confiscation. The Israeli human rights organization Peace Now reported that such military orders are frequently used to retroactively legalize access roads leading to settlements and outposts.
Did you know? According to human rights organizations and the United Nations cited by NOS Nieuws, the Israeli government introduced plans early in the year to designate unregistered land in Area C as state property, disproportionately affecting Palestinian landowners who never completed formal modern registration.
Official Response from Israeli Authorities
The NOS newsroom contacted Cogat, the Israeli government agency overseeing the occupied territories, regarding the property ownership, ongoing court battles, and the contested road, providing exact location coordinates. In an official statement, Cogat responded: “The bouwwerken waarnaar in uw verzoek worden verwezen, zijn in strijd met de wet gebouwd op land waarop een door de militaire commandant ondertekend militair bevel van kracht is dat bouwactiviteiten verbiedt. Daarom worden er handhavingsprocedures uitgevoerd.” The agency did not provide substantive answers regarding the property ownership, the active lawsuits, or the construction of the access road.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns the Nassar family farm?
According to historical deeds from the Ottoman, British Mandate, and Jordanian periods, the land belongs to the Nassar family, who purchased the property over a century ago.
Why has registration taken 35 years?
Israeli authorities declared the land state property in 1991. Although the Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that it was not state land, lawyers state that administrative hurdles, including a translated boundary discrepancy, continue to block registration.
What is Area C?
Area C designates the portion of the occupied West Bank that remains under full Israeli military and civil control according to administrative divisions.
Are the nearby outposts legal?
According to international law, Israeli settlements and outposts built in the occupied West Bank are illegal.
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