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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities confiscated at least 47 dunams (12 acres) of lands in al-Thahiryeh village, south of Hebron city, in the southern occupied West Bank for alleged military purposes, locals told Ma’an on Wednesday.

Al-Thahiryeh mayor Ratib al-Sabber told Ma’an that locals were surprised last Sunday when an Israeli confiscation order was put up on the entrance of the Mitar checkpoint in the southern part of al-Thahiryeh, close to the lands that were confiscated. The order stated that the land would be used for Israeli army purposes.

The lands, he added, belonged to the Abu Allah family, who are residents of al-Thahiryeh.

Al-Sabber told Ma'an that a verbal agreement had been previously made between Palestinians and Israeli officials that the confiscated lands would be used as a parking lot for Palestinians who cross the checkpoint into the Israeli city of Beersheba for work. However, the agreement was never implemented, he said.

The Abu Allah family had filed an appeal against the confiscation order, al-Sabber added.

A spokesperson from COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for implementing Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territory, was not immediately available to comment.