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Ethnic cleansing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories April 4, 2001 Over the past four days, the Israeli authorities have demolished a large number of Palestinian-owned buildings in the West Bank (including occupied Arab Jerusalem) under the pretext that they are “unlicensed.” On Wednesday 4 April, members of the Israeli Building and Planning Committee in Bet Al arrived in the Palestinian town of Anata, Jerusalem, accompanied by two bulldozers and large number of soldiers. They proceeded to demolish the following houses: 1. The house of Saleem Shawamra. Saleem is 43 and supports a family of eight. The 110 square metre house has been demolished twice before; in July 1998 and in July 1999. The total loss of the demolition is US $90,000. 2. A 135 square metre building belonging to Mohammad Karshan. 38 year-old Mohammad supports a family of 11 3. A 40 square metre building belonging to Eed Karshan. Karshan is 45, unemployed, and supports a family of 15. 4. A 50 square metre building belonging to 28 year-old Dawood Karshan, who supports a family of seven. The Karshans received a demolition order from the Israeli Building and Planning Committee in Bet El, due to expire on April 5, 2001. The demolition was carried out a day before the demolition orders expired. In Jenin, Israeli bulldozers knocked down the following buildings: 1. The house of Adel Abed. The 216 square metre house was still under construction 2. The house of Abdul Aziz Abu Ghali. The Israeli authorities demolished two rooms -60 square metres - in Abdul’s house, as well as a shed used for sheltering animals 3. Deef Abu Ghali’s 60 square metre animal shelter 4. The 150 square metre house of Nathmi Abu Hanana 5. A 500 square metre warehouse used by Riyad Zakarna for his stone-cutting business, as well as two rooms used as offices. In Hebron, the following houses were demolished: 1. The 210 square metre house of 31 year-old Faraj Jabir. Jabir told LAW, “I live with my family of five in a rented house. I started building my own house two years ago. A year ago I received an warning to stop the construction, and today the army arrived and knocked down the house.” 2. Mohammad Al Ja’bari’s house. Al Ja’bari told LAW “I started building this 80 square metre house two years ago. It had not been completed yet. Five months ago I received an order to demolish the place I keep my animals. I wanted to enlarge the place since it is only 4 metres away from my home. My home is 90 square metres and accommodates 10 people.” 3. Na’eem Al Fakhuri’s house. Na’eem, 65, told LAW, “I have been building this house for two years. It consists of two apartments of 500 square metres. There is also a water well, the house was supposed to accommodate 15 people.” 4. Nasir Masuda’s 90 square metre house. Israeli police arrested Pier Shatz, 26, a Canadian member of the Christian Peacemaking Team, who protested the demolition near the site. On Sunday April 1, Israeli forces demolished the following buildings in Farush Beit Dajan in the Jordan Valley: 1. Khader Abu Salama’s 60 square metre house 2. Abdul Raheem Muhawish’s 70 square metre house 3. Mahmoud Bsharat’s 60 square metre house 4. Sa’ed Bsharat’s 60 square metre house 5. Khaleel Bsharat’s 50 square metre house On Monday April 2, Israeli forces demolished the Al Tur house of 64 year-old Said Al Jamal. Mahmoud Al Jamal, Said’s son told LAW “Israeli soldiers besieged the area and two hours later two bulldozers arrived to knock down the house, which we started building half a year ago and was still under construction.” Mahmoud added, “The Israeli Building and Planning Committee in Bet Al delayed the building permission. The building is 400 square metres and cost us US $150,000. It was supposed to house a school, a kindergarten, and a swimming pool. We did not receive any demolition orders before it was destroyed.” On Tuesday, Israeli forces demolished the following buildings: 1. Ibraheem Kirhs’s house, which is still under construction. Ibraheem is 42 and supports a family of 12. The 120 square metre house, located in Al Azariyi, was first demolished in 1998. 2. Ghalib Al Razim’s house in Al Zaeem. The 140 square metre house was still under construction, with the eventual aim of housing 18 people. 3. Salah Al Ghawi’s under-construction house in Al Azariyi 4. Mahmoud Rawayda’s 10 square metre shed 5. A wall in Al Azariyi, 90 metres long, belonging to Khalid Al Ata. On Wednesday, Israeli bulldozers knocked down Mohammad Salah’s house in Al Khader, Bethlehem. The 100 square metre house has been occupied since 1998. LAW Society strongly condemns the Israeli policy of house demolition and views it as a method of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment against Palestinian civilians. Such acts violate Article 33 of the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949, which stipulates “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited.” And Article 53, which stipulates “Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.” Henceforth, LAW Society demands the Israeli authorities to immediately halt such acts of aggression against Palestinian civilians. LAW also demand the High Contracting Parties to the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949 to convene and urge the Israeli government to apply the Convention to the Palestinian territories. Ethnic cleansing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories April 4, 2001 Over the past four days, the Israeli authorities have demolished a large number of Palestinian-owned buildings in the West Bank (including occupied Arab Jerusalem) under the pretext that they are “unlicensed.” On Wednesday 4 April, members of the Israeli Building and Planning Committee in Bet Al arrived in the Palestinian town of Anata, Jerusalem, accompanied by two bulldozers and large number of soldiers. They proceeded to demolish the following houses: 1. The house of Saleem Shawamra. Saleem is 43 and supports a family of eight. The 110 square metre house has been demolished twice before; in July 1998 and in July 1999. The total loss of the demolition is US $90,000. 2. A 135 square metre building belonging to Mohammad Karshan. 38 year-old Mohammad supports a family of 11 3. A 40 square metre building belonging to Eed Karshan. Karshan is 45, unemployed, and supports a family of 15. 4. A 50 square metre building belonging to 28 year-old Dawood Karshan, who supports a family of seven. The Karshans received a demolition order from the Israeli Building and Planning Committee in Bet El, due to expire on April 5, 2001. The demolition was carried out a day before the demolition orders expired. In Jenin, Israeli bulldozers knocked down the following buildings: 1. The house of Adel Abed. The 216 square metre house was still under construction 2. The house of Abdul Aziz Abu Ghali. The Israeli authorities demolished two rooms -60 square metres - in Abdul’s house, as well as a shed used for sheltering animals 3. Deef Abu Ghali’s 60 square metre animal shelter 4. The 150 square metre house of Nathmi Abu Hanana 5. A 500 square metre warehouse used by Riyad Zakarna for his stone-cutting business, as well as two rooms used as offices. In Hebron, the following houses were demolished: 1. The 210 square metre house of 31 year-old Faraj Jabir. Jabir told LAW, “I live with my family of five in a rented house. I started building my own house two years ago. A year ago I received an warning to stop the construction, and today the army arrived and knocked down the house.” 2. Mohammad Al Ja’bari’s house. Al Ja’bari told LAW “I started building this 80 square metre house two years ago. It had not been completed yet. Five months ago I received an order to demolish the place I keep my animals. I wanted to enlarge the place since it is only 4 metres away from my home. My home is 90 square metres and accommodates 10 people.” 3. Na’eem Al Fakhuri’s house. Na’eem, 65, told LAW, “I have been building this house for two years. It consists of two apartments of 500 square metres. There is also a water well, the house was supposed to accommodate 15 people.” 4. Nasir Masuda’s 90 square metre house. Israeli police arrested Pier Shatz, 26, a Canadian member of the Christian Peacemaking Team, who protested the demolition near the site. On Sunday April 1, Israeli forces demolished the following buildings in Farush Beit Dajan in the Jordan Valley: 1. Khader Abu Salama’s 60 square metre house 2. Abdul Raheem Muhawish’s 70 square metre house 3. Mahmoud Bsharat’s 60 square metre house 4. Sa’ed Bsharat’s 60 square metre house 5. Khaleel Bsharat’s 50 square metre house On Monday April 2, Israeli forces demolished the Al Tur house of 64 year-old Said Al Jamal. Mahmoud Al Jamal, Said’s son told LAW “Israeli soldiers besieged the area and two hours later two bulldozers arrived to knock down the house, which we started building half a year ago and was still under construction.” Mahmoud added, “The Israeli Building and Planning Committee in Bet Al delayed the building permission. The building is 400 square metres and cost us US $150,000. It was supposed to house a school, a kindergarten, and a swimming pool. We did not receive any demolition orders before it was destroyed.” On Tuesday, Israeli forces demolished the following buildings: 1. Ibraheem Kirhs’s house, which is still under construction. Ibraheem is 42 and supports a family of 12. The 120 square metre house, located in Al Azariyi, was first demolished in 1998. 2. Ghalib Al Razim’s house in Al Zaeem. The 140 square metre house was still under construction, with the eventual aim of housing 18 people. 3. Salah Al Ghawi’s under-construction house in Al Azariyi 4. Mahmoud Rawayda’s 10 square metre shed 5. A wall in Al Azariyi, 90 metres long, belonging to Khalid Al Ata. On Wednesday, Israeli bulldozers knocked down Mohammad Salah’s house in Al Khader, Bethlehem. The 100 square metre house has been occupied since 1998. LAW Society strongly condemns the Israeli policy of house demolition and views it as a method of ethnic cleansing and collective punishment against Palestinian civilians. Such acts violate Article 33 of the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949, which stipulates “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited.” And Article 53, which stipulates “Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.” Henceforth, LAW Society demands the Israeli authorities to immediately halt such acts of aggression against Palestinian civilians. LAW also demand the High Contracting Parties to the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949 to convene and urge the Israeli government to apply the Convention to the Palestinian territories. LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is affiliate to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Fédération Internationale des Ligues de Droits de l'Homme (FIDH), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Member of the Euro- Mediterranean Human Rights Network. |
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