Tubas: The Governorate of Tubas and the Northern Jordan Valley conducted an extensive meeting to address the geopolitical situation in the region amidst increasing Israeli colonization and military activities. The meeting, held at the governorate headquarters on Monday, included officials from various departments, ARIJ Director Jad Isaac, and Suhail Khalilieh, the director of the Colonization Monitoring Unit, along with representatives from local institutions.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, ARIJ presented a comprehensive briefing with maps and documented data, outlining the status of colonies, bypass roads, military checkpoints, military orders, and the separation wall in the Tubas and Northern Jordan Valley Governorate. Khalilieh highlighted that colonial activities began post-1967 with the establishment of the "Mehola" colony, which served as the colonial project's nucleus in the area. It later expanded to control agricultural lands and water sources, reinforcing Israeli presence.
Khalilieh noted that eight colonies are home to over 3,320 colonists, with a built-up area covering approximately 8,589 dunams and a jurisdictional area of around 12,895 dunams-about 3.2 percent of the governorate's total area. Colonists control approximately 12,564 dunams of nearby agricultural lands, nearly 18 percent of the Jordan Valley's farmland.
The presentation also discussed the expansion of pastoral colony outposts, with over 12 established between 1996 and 2025 to seize open lands. ARIJ data showed 22 military checkpoints, including iron gates, dirt mounds, and concrete blocks, isolating Tubas from other West Bank cities like Nablus and Jenin. These checkpoints restrict farmers' and herders' access to the Jordan Valley, hinder worker and goods movement, raise transportation costs, and impact economic activities.
Key checkpoints like Hamra and Tayasir are crucial for accessing the Jordan Valley, which supports the governorate's agricultural economy. The briefing highlighted a 58-kilometer bypass road network, notably Roads 90 and 578, connecting colonies to each other and Israel, with limited Palestinian access.
Military orders since 1967 include home demolitions, land confiscations for colonies and roads, and water source seizures. The separation wall extends 15.5 kilometers through the governorate's northern parts, isolating about 2,650 dunams, including 1,873 dunams of farmland.
The institute disclosed nine military orders for constructing a 40-kilometer military road between Ein Shibli and Tayasir, reshaping ground control in the Jordan Valley. ARIJ data also indicated that a new 22.5-kilometer wall section under the "Scarlet Thread" or "Crimson Thread" project threatens to isolate about 45,000 dunams-11 percent of the governorate's area-potentially separating farmers from their lands and displacing communities.