Ahiya (; also transliterated as Achiya or Achia) is an Israeli outpost in the West Bank, about 1.5 km southeast of the Palestinian people, Palestinian village of Jalud. It falls under the purview of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. Israeli outposts are considered international law and Israeli settlements, illegal both under international law as well as under Israeli law. It is named after the Biblical prophet Ahijah the Shilonite who lived in Shiloh (biblical city), Shiloh, which is about 3 km to its west.

Demographics

As of 2004 permanent construction of homes in Ahiya was being carried out. As of 2011 the population of Ahiya was about 50 people.

Geography

Ahiya is near the Israeli outpost of Shvut Rachel as well as the Palestinian village of Jalud. According to Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem, ARIJ, Israel confiscated land from the Palestinians, Palestinian villages of Jalud and Qusra in order to construct the Israeli outposts of Ahiya and Esh Kodesh.

Economy

Ahiya has the only Israeli owned oil press in the region. Settlers from the region bring their olives to Ahiya to be pressed.

Attacks against Palestinians

Palestinian farmers from nearby Jalud have accused settlers from Ahiya of taking harvested olives from them by force. On 9 February 2011, Israeli settlers from Ahiya attacked Jalud, demanding residents evacuate their houses and physically attacking local residents.Armed settlers attack West Bank village
. ''Ma'an News Agency''. 2011-02-09. Retrieved on 2012-02-21. In 2022, ''Haaretz'' reported that residents of Ahiya attacked the nearby Palestinians, Palestinian village of Jalud with firebombs, torching cars and house yards, in what the Israeli newspaper called a "''pogrom''", "flaunt evil" and "Israeli settlement, settler terror".

References

{{Judea and Samaria Mateh Binyamin Regional Council Israeli settlements in the West Bank Populated places established in 1997 Israeli outposts Unauthorized Israeli settlements