28 aug 2013
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) served notices in Al-Fakhit hamlet to the east of Yatta town, south of Al-Khalil city, for the destruction of eight water wells. Ratib Al-Jabour, the coordinator of the popular committee against the wall and settlement in Yatta, said on Wednesday that Israeli occupation forces delivered the notifications to members of the three families in the hamlet.
He said that the notifications include the demolition of the wells and barbed wire provided by UNDP for the establishment of a natural sanctuary over an area of 700 dunums owned by those three families.
Jabour lashed out at the IOA for displacing citizens and destroying their property for the sake of expanding Jewish settlements.
He said that Al-Fakhit is one of eight hamlets threatened with destruction in the area for the sake of retaining a reserve land for future establishment of settlements and expansion of existing ones.
He said that the notifications include the demolition of the wells and barbed wire provided by UNDP for the establishment of a natural sanctuary over an area of 700 dunums owned by those three families.
Jabour lashed out at the IOA for displacing citizens and destroying their property for the sake of expanding Jewish settlements.
He said that Al-Fakhit is one of eight hamlets threatened with destruction in the area for the sake of retaining a reserve land for future establishment of settlements and expansion of existing ones.
27 aug 2013
Israel forces Palestinians in East Jerusalem to demolish their own homes
Ziad Ameira set a thick stack of papers on a plastic table. These official notifications and threats forced the 49-year-old convenience store-owner to destroy his own house in the Sur Baher area of East Jerusalem on 18 August.
“My family and I lived in that home for 13 years,” he said. “I have no idea where to go from here.”
Ameira had inherited the land where the house was built from his late father. Only twenty days after Ameira and his family moved into the home in 2000, the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem Municipality delivered a demolition order. In May this year, “they gave me the choice: I demolish my own house or they do it for me,” he told The Electronic Intifada. “They gave me two and a half months.”
The eight-member family is now living in two small rooms at his brother’s house. Despite the extreme circumstances, they won’t be able to stay there longer than a few months, as his nephew is getting married and needs the space. “I have three boys and two daughters, my wife and my mother,” Ameira said. “My mom is 85 years old and is no longer able to walk.”
Just fifteen years after he began building his family’s home with his own hands, Ameira was given the cruel choice of paying for Israel to raze it or bringing down its walls himself. He chose the latter.
When Israeli forces destroy Palestinian homes — whether in in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, or within present-day Israel — the residents are told they have to foot the bill for the demolition.
The first court order which Ameira received back in 2000 informed him that he owed the municipality 35,000 shekels (approximately $10,000). “At that time, I was paying only around 500 shekels [$104] per month,” he said.
“But they kept fining me. After another two and a half years, they said I had to pay another 27,000 shekel [$5,600] fine. For a building permit, they wanted around 250,000 shekels [$52,000].”
As his convenience store provides a meager income, Ameira insisted that he had no real choice. In order to pay his lawyer, he had to borrow money.
“I wasn’t able to pay them that much. My children were small at the time and I had no one to help me. Even today, my store only brings in enough profit to pay for the family to eat.
“When we first moved into our home, because it lacked a permit, we had to buy water and electricity from the neighbors.”
“Beautiful with time” He added that the family wasn’t able to afford to tile the house for the first four years, so they had to walk on a dirt floor.
“It was a cheap house, but we made it beautiful with time. We added a patio and a beautiful garden, and we did it all with our own hands.”
Ameira’s friends and family used to visit regularly, often sitting in the garden and chatting over tea into the early hours of the morning.
Each time a court order came by mail, it informed Ameira that Israeli authorities “reserved the right” to destroy his home at any moment. Despite his lawyer having delayed one for several years, a demolition order came in May 2013.
Ameira spent months preparing his children for the decision, and shortly after Ramadan ended, he began the process of destroying the home.
Though he avoided having to pay the municipality a $20,000 demolition fee, he still had to pay for the demolition. After renting a bulldozer and hiring a dump truck to haul off the remains of his home, the total costs exceeded $7,000.
New form of punishment Though Israel’s home demolition policy is usually implemented by soldiers or police officers who arrive with bulldozers in the dead of night, Ameira said that this is one of Israel’s new forms of punishment for Palestinians.
“The law used to be that the Israeli authorities had to demolish the house, but that changed in recent years … so that Israel wouldn’t have media pressure,” he said.
The “self-demolition” policy is used frequently in East Jerusalem.
According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, nearly 380 Palestinian structures have been demolished so far this year, resulting in the displacement of 630 persons.
Of the roughly 270,000 Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian Counseling Center study found that more than 93,000 lived “at risk of being displaced by having their homes demolished” (“With our own hands,” January 2012 [PDF]).
The report adds that “the number of cases where Palestinians demolished their homes to evade fines or prosecution is believed to be only slightly below the number of homes demolished by Israeli authorities.”
A number of interviews with families forced to demolish their own homes found that “once they had been issued a demolition order … all of the families without exception saw the homes’ final destruction as inevitable, with no other possible resolution.”
Israeli policy aims to increase the number of settlers in East Jerusalem — already approximately 200,000 — by further entrenching the institutions of occupation. Integral to this project is pressuring the city’s indigenous Palestinian residents to leave by imposing a complex permit regime, demolishing homes and enforcing a legal system that discriminates against Palestinians.
“Biggest form of racism” “All of us were born in Jerusalem; my entire family is originally from Jerusalem,” Ameira said.
“I’ve never been interested in politics, but it’s clear that Israel wants to kick all of us out of Jerusalem,” Ameira said. “They are telling us, that’s it, forget Jerusalem, forget al-Aqsa [mosque], forget everything here.”
Residents of Sur Baher struggle to maintain basic infrastructure as they are caged in by a road connecting Jerusalem to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Since the 1970s, they have lost land to two of these settlements: Har Homa and East Talpiot.
Ziad Ameira’s 21-year-old-son, Mustafa, who had recently married and moved out at the time of the demolition, echoed his father’s sentiments: “They simply want to throw us out of our homeland. Where in the world are people forced to destroy their own homes?”
Turning to his father, Mustafa added, “It’s the biggest form of racism in the world. I’ve never heard of an Israeli having to demolish his own home.”
The elder Ameira expressed his pessimism regarding the ongoing “peace” talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Although Sur Baher falls within the part of East Jerusalem that may go to a Palestinian state in the unlikely event of a brokered two-state solution based on the pre-1967 War boundaries, he fears a future of more demolitions and land theft.
“If Israel was going to give us the ’67 borders, then why are they destroying homes?” he asked. “They’ve changed the people and geography of Jerusalem so much that it’s impossible. They want our land without the people.”
Though Ziad Ameira accused the Palestinian Authority of breaking its promises to support Jerusalem families struggling to stay in their homes and on their lands, he pledged to stay in the city “until the end,” adding “I could go get a tent and set it up on my land or on the side of the street, but the municipality would probably destroy that, too.
“I’m asking the people of the world who are able, help us — not just me, but all of Jerusalem … We want to stay on our land, but we can’t take this forever. It’s too much tragedy.
“We’re scared of the future. Our future is black and we don’t know what the end will be. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”
Patrick O. Strickland is an investigative reporter for Mint Press News. His writing has appeared at Al Jazeera English, Truthout, AlterNet, and elsewhere. Follow him on Twitter: @P_Strickland_.
Ziad Ameira set a thick stack of papers on a plastic table. These official notifications and threats forced the 49-year-old convenience store-owner to destroy his own house in the Sur Baher area of East Jerusalem on 18 August.
“My family and I lived in that home for 13 years,” he said. “I have no idea where to go from here.”
Ameira had inherited the land where the house was built from his late father. Only twenty days after Ameira and his family moved into the home in 2000, the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem Municipality delivered a demolition order. In May this year, “they gave me the choice: I demolish my own house or they do it for me,” he told The Electronic Intifada. “They gave me two and a half months.”
The eight-member family is now living in two small rooms at his brother’s house. Despite the extreme circumstances, they won’t be able to stay there longer than a few months, as his nephew is getting married and needs the space. “I have three boys and two daughters, my wife and my mother,” Ameira said. “My mom is 85 years old and is no longer able to walk.”
Just fifteen years after he began building his family’s home with his own hands, Ameira was given the cruel choice of paying for Israel to raze it or bringing down its walls himself. He chose the latter.
When Israeli forces destroy Palestinian homes — whether in in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, or within present-day Israel — the residents are told they have to foot the bill for the demolition.
The first court order which Ameira received back in 2000 informed him that he owed the municipality 35,000 shekels (approximately $10,000). “At that time, I was paying only around 500 shekels [$104] per month,” he said.
“But they kept fining me. After another two and a half years, they said I had to pay another 27,000 shekel [$5,600] fine. For a building permit, they wanted around 250,000 shekels [$52,000].”
As his convenience store provides a meager income, Ameira insisted that he had no real choice. In order to pay his lawyer, he had to borrow money.
“I wasn’t able to pay them that much. My children were small at the time and I had no one to help me. Even today, my store only brings in enough profit to pay for the family to eat.
“When we first moved into our home, because it lacked a permit, we had to buy water and electricity from the neighbors.”
“Beautiful with time” He added that the family wasn’t able to afford to tile the house for the first four years, so they had to walk on a dirt floor.
“It was a cheap house, but we made it beautiful with time. We added a patio and a beautiful garden, and we did it all with our own hands.”
Ameira’s friends and family used to visit regularly, often sitting in the garden and chatting over tea into the early hours of the morning.
Each time a court order came by mail, it informed Ameira that Israeli authorities “reserved the right” to destroy his home at any moment. Despite his lawyer having delayed one for several years, a demolition order came in May 2013.
Ameira spent months preparing his children for the decision, and shortly after Ramadan ended, he began the process of destroying the home.
Though he avoided having to pay the municipality a $20,000 demolition fee, he still had to pay for the demolition. After renting a bulldozer and hiring a dump truck to haul off the remains of his home, the total costs exceeded $7,000.
New form of punishment Though Israel’s home demolition policy is usually implemented by soldiers or police officers who arrive with bulldozers in the dead of night, Ameira said that this is one of Israel’s new forms of punishment for Palestinians.
“The law used to be that the Israeli authorities had to demolish the house, but that changed in recent years … so that Israel wouldn’t have media pressure,” he said.
The “self-demolition” policy is used frequently in East Jerusalem.
According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, nearly 380 Palestinian structures have been demolished so far this year, resulting in the displacement of 630 persons.
Of the roughly 270,000 Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian Counseling Center study found that more than 93,000 lived “at risk of being displaced by having their homes demolished” (“With our own hands,” January 2012 [PDF]).
The report adds that “the number of cases where Palestinians demolished their homes to evade fines or prosecution is believed to be only slightly below the number of homes demolished by Israeli authorities.”
A number of interviews with families forced to demolish their own homes found that “once they had been issued a demolition order … all of the families without exception saw the homes’ final destruction as inevitable, with no other possible resolution.”
Israeli policy aims to increase the number of settlers in East Jerusalem — already approximately 200,000 — by further entrenching the institutions of occupation. Integral to this project is pressuring the city’s indigenous Palestinian residents to leave by imposing a complex permit regime, demolishing homes and enforcing a legal system that discriminates against Palestinians.
“Biggest form of racism” “All of us were born in Jerusalem; my entire family is originally from Jerusalem,” Ameira said.
“I’ve never been interested in politics, but it’s clear that Israel wants to kick all of us out of Jerusalem,” Ameira said. “They are telling us, that’s it, forget Jerusalem, forget al-Aqsa [mosque], forget everything here.”
Residents of Sur Baher struggle to maintain basic infrastructure as they are caged in by a road connecting Jerusalem to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Since the 1970s, they have lost land to two of these settlements: Har Homa and East Talpiot.
Ziad Ameira’s 21-year-old-son, Mustafa, who had recently married and moved out at the time of the demolition, echoed his father’s sentiments: “They simply want to throw us out of our homeland. Where in the world are people forced to destroy their own homes?”
Turning to his father, Mustafa added, “It’s the biggest form of racism in the world. I’ve never heard of an Israeli having to demolish his own home.”
The elder Ameira expressed his pessimism regarding the ongoing “peace” talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Although Sur Baher falls within the part of East Jerusalem that may go to a Palestinian state in the unlikely event of a brokered two-state solution based on the pre-1967 War boundaries, he fears a future of more demolitions and land theft.
“If Israel was going to give us the ’67 borders, then why are they destroying homes?” he asked. “They’ve changed the people and geography of Jerusalem so much that it’s impossible. They want our land without the people.”
Though Ziad Ameira accused the Palestinian Authority of breaking its promises to support Jerusalem families struggling to stay in their homes and on their lands, he pledged to stay in the city “until the end,” adding “I could go get a tent and set it up on my land or on the side of the street, but the municipality would probably destroy that, too.
“I’m asking the people of the world who are able, help us — not just me, but all of Jerusalem … We want to stay on our land, but we can’t take this forever. It’s too much tragedy.
“We’re scared of the future. Our future is black and we don’t know what the end will be. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”
Patrick O. Strickland is an investigative reporter for Mint Press News. His writing has appeared at Al Jazeera English, Truthout, AlterNet, and elsewhere. Follow him on Twitter: @P_Strickland_.
A prominent activist in the Negev village of al-Araqib said Tuesday that he would rather stay in prison than be displaced from his village.
Sayah al-Touri was arrested on Monday with three other activists from the Bedouin village, which has been repeatedly demolished by Israeli forces.
"Prison is better for me than being deported away from al-Araqib," he said via his lawyer.
Several of the villagers detained by Israel were told by police that they would be released on condition that they didn't go back to al-Araqib.
All of them refused the offer.
Israeli authorities demolished the village of al-Araqib for the 54th time on Aug. 15.
There are about 260,000 Bedouin in Israel, mostly living in and around the Negev in the arid south. More than half live in unrecognized villages without utilities and many also live in extreme poverty.
The Israeli government in January approved the Prawer-Begin Bill, calling for the relocation of 30,000 - 40,000 Bedouin, the demolition of about 40 villages and the confiscation of more than 700,000 dunums of land in the Negev.
It was approved by parliament in a first reading in June, and two more votes on it are expected.
Sayah al-Touri was arrested on Monday with three other activists from the Bedouin village, which has been repeatedly demolished by Israeli forces.
"Prison is better for me than being deported away from al-Araqib," he said via his lawyer.
Several of the villagers detained by Israel were told by police that they would be released on condition that they didn't go back to al-Araqib.
All of them refused the offer.
Israeli authorities demolished the village of al-Araqib for the 54th time on Aug. 15.
There are about 260,000 Bedouin in Israel, mostly living in and around the Negev in the arid south. More than half live in unrecognized villages without utilities and many also live in extreme poverty.
The Israeli government in January approved the Prawer-Begin Bill, calling for the relocation of 30,000 - 40,000 Bedouin, the demolition of about 40 villages and the confiscation of more than 700,000 dunums of land in the Negev.
It was approved by parliament in a first reading in June, and two more votes on it are expected.
Israeli forces on Tuesday handed stop-work warrants to several Palestinian families in the southern West Bank town of al-Dhahiriya over allegedly building houses without license.
Family members told the Hebron-based Land Research Center that inspectors of the Israeli Civil Administration “stormed the al-Maalla area and handed warrants ordering residents to stop construction works in their houses.”
The report highlighted that though the warranted houses were under construction, families lived in them.
The orders, according to the LRC, notified owners that an inspection committee would meet on Sept. 30 to consider possible house demolitions in the area.
Amongst the homeowners who were warranted were Fayiz Suleiman al-Tal, Nayif Muhammad Abu Sharkh, Sami Issa Abu Sharkh and Sufyan Izzat Abu Sharkh.
Family members told the Hebron-based Land Research Center that inspectors of the Israeli Civil Administration “stormed the al-Maalla area and handed warrants ordering residents to stop construction works in their houses.”
The report highlighted that though the warranted houses were under construction, families lived in them.
The orders, according to the LRC, notified owners that an inspection committee would meet on Sept. 30 to consider possible house demolitions in the area.
Amongst the homeowners who were warranted were Fayiz Suleiman al-Tal, Nayif Muhammad Abu Sharkh, Sami Issa Abu Sharkh and Sufyan Izzat Abu Sharkh.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Israeli forces to immediately end the “unlawful demolition” of homes belonging to Palestinians in the occupied territories.
“When Israeli forces routinely and repeatedly demolish homes in occupied territory without showing that it’s necessary for military operations, it appears that the only purpose is to drive families off their land, which is a war crime,” it said in a statement earlier this week.
The demolitions have displaced nearly 80 people over the past week alone.
Activists say Israel has destroyed hundreds of Palestinian structures, displacing over 700 people in the current year.
On August 20, Israeli bulldozers destroyed three homes and uprooted trees in the East al-Quds [Jerusalem] neighborhood of Silwan.
Israeli forces also razed six residential structures belonging to the al-Ka’abna Bedouin tribe, in Beit Hanina, a day earlier.
In Beit Dajan village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, soldiers demolished two hothouses and four rooms.
The Palestinian homes and lands were demolished under the pretext of not having a building permit.
In June, Israeli forces raided the village of Faqeh near the city of Jericho in the Jordan Valley, destroying a number of houses. Nearly 50,000 Palestinians live in this part of the Jordan Valley that lies inside the West Bank.
Meanwhile, the Israeli regime continues its illegal settlements in East al-Quds, despite widespread international criticism of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The United Nations and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in the Six Day War of 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands. (Video on the link)
“When Israeli forces routinely and repeatedly demolish homes in occupied territory without showing that it’s necessary for military operations, it appears that the only purpose is to drive families off their land, which is a war crime,” it said in a statement earlier this week.
The demolitions have displaced nearly 80 people over the past week alone.
Activists say Israel has destroyed hundreds of Palestinian structures, displacing over 700 people in the current year.
On August 20, Israeli bulldozers destroyed three homes and uprooted trees in the East al-Quds [Jerusalem] neighborhood of Silwan.
Israeli forces also razed six residential structures belonging to the al-Ka’abna Bedouin tribe, in Beit Hanina, a day earlier.
In Beit Dajan village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, soldiers demolished two hothouses and four rooms.
The Palestinian homes and lands were demolished under the pretext of not having a building permit.
In June, Israeli forces raided the village of Faqeh near the city of Jericho in the Jordan Valley, destroying a number of houses. Nearly 50,000 Palestinians live in this part of the Jordan Valley that lies inside the West Bank.
Meanwhile, the Israeli regime continues its illegal settlements in East al-Quds, despite widespread international criticism of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The United Nations and most countries regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were captured by Israel in the Six Day War of 1967 and are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands. (Video on the link)
|
|
Palestinian Khaled Zir sits with his children inside a cave in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013. Zir said the family moved into a cave after their home was demolished by Israeli authorities
For much of the past seven years, Khalid Zir and his family called a makeshift tin shack in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan home. But now that Israeli authorities have demolished the hut, Zir has become even more desperate. With no other housing options, Zir, his wife and five children have gathered their belongings and moved into a cave that used to serve as the family's stable. "My house was demolished, and I was obliged to live here because I did not have any place to go to," said Zir, a 39-year-old maintenance worker. |
"I wanted to rent a house but there are no houses here for rent, because there are no licenses for us Arabs to build."
The family's odd plight highlights the tricky issue of home demolitions in east Jerusalem, the Palestinians' hoped-for capital. Israel says the matter is merely one of law and order and that it was the Jerusalem municipality's responsibility to crack down on zoning violations and illegal building. The local Arabs, however, see a more sinister agenda aimed at preventing them from growing while nearby Jewish settlements continue to expand.
Over the past decade, 448 homes of Arabs in east Jerusalem have been demolished, leaving 1,752 people homeless, according to data provided by the B'Tselem, a leading Israeli human rights group. This year alone, 30 homes have been knocked down, leaving 80 homeless.
Many homes were like Zir's, dilapidated shacks near family plots that were built without permits.
In a statement, the Jerusalem municipality denied carrying out housing demolitions, saying it had simply "removed uninhabitable tin structures located in public property that is designated to become a national park. Thus, the area cannot be used for private residential purposes."
B'Tselem spokeswoman Sarit Michaeli said the city was within its rights to punish building violations but added that the issue has been "hijacked to promote the political agenda" of putting pressure on Palestinians to reduce their numbers in east Jerusalem.
Israel, which captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, has ringed the area with Jewish settlements to cement its control. More than 200,000 Israelis now live in the areas, which the country considers neighborhoods of its capital. Palestinian residents say it is expensive and difficult to receive building permits, forcing them to build homes like Zir's. The international community does not recognize Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem.
In the meantime, the Zir family is trying to make the best of a tough situation. They have moved some furniture, a refrigerator and a television into the cave and installed lighting. Zir walks over to his father's nearby home to shower.
But he says he has no plans of backing down.
"We are staying here," he said. "We are patient, we are going to stay here even in a cave, under the sun, the snow and the rain, we will stay here."
The family's odd plight highlights the tricky issue of home demolitions in east Jerusalem, the Palestinians' hoped-for capital. Israel says the matter is merely one of law and order and that it was the Jerusalem municipality's responsibility to crack down on zoning violations and illegal building. The local Arabs, however, see a more sinister agenda aimed at preventing them from growing while nearby Jewish settlements continue to expand.
Over the past decade, 448 homes of Arabs in east Jerusalem have been demolished, leaving 1,752 people homeless, according to data provided by the B'Tselem, a leading Israeli human rights group. This year alone, 30 homes have been knocked down, leaving 80 homeless.
Many homes were like Zir's, dilapidated shacks near family plots that were built without permits.
In a statement, the Jerusalem municipality denied carrying out housing demolitions, saying it had simply "removed uninhabitable tin structures located in public property that is designated to become a national park. Thus, the area cannot be used for private residential purposes."
B'Tselem spokeswoman Sarit Michaeli said the city was within its rights to punish building violations but added that the issue has been "hijacked to promote the political agenda" of putting pressure on Palestinians to reduce their numbers in east Jerusalem.
Israel, which captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, has ringed the area with Jewish settlements to cement its control. More than 200,000 Israelis now live in the areas, which the country considers neighborhoods of its capital. Palestinian residents say it is expensive and difficult to receive building permits, forcing them to build homes like Zir's. The international community does not recognize Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem.
In the meantime, the Zir family is trying to make the best of a tough situation. They have moved some furniture, a refrigerator and a television into the cave and installed lighting. Zir walks over to his father's nearby home to shower.
But he says he has no plans of backing down.
"We are staying here," he said. "We are patient, we are going to stay here even in a cave, under the sun, the snow and the rain, we will stay here."
Israeli forces razed several structures in the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of al-Tur and Eisawiya under the pretext that they were built without a license.
Locals told Ma'an that a large number of Israeli forces including special forces, police horsemen, and border guard officers raided Khallat al-Ein neighborhood in al-Tur. The invading forces denied residents and journalists access to the area before they forced two families to quickly evacuate their houses for demolition. The families were given only minutes to pull out some of their belongings.
Zakariyya al-Daya told Ma’an that without a prior notice, Israeli forces stormed his house and another house belonging to his brother Abdul-Aziz and ordered the families to evacuate them for demolition. Al-Daya asserted that he had obtained a court decision to suspend the demolition order until October. He tried to show the soldiers the decision but they refused to argue with him and attacked him with pepper spray, he said.
Al-Daya explained that the two houses measured 120 square meters and used to shelter 12 family members. They were built six years earlier on a private tract of land. The Israeli municipal council of Jerusalem then ordered the family to pay a fine of 20,000 shekels followed by another fine of 60,000 shekels which the family is still paying in installments.
Separately, Israeli forces demolished a building under construction in the same neighborhood belonging to Mahir Abu Sbeitan. A member of a Jerusalem follow-up committee, Mufid Abu Ghanam, told Ma’an that the two-story building measured 250 square meters and consisted of four apartments.
He highlighted that Israeli authorities prevent Palestinian residents of Jerusalem from building new houses on their own private land or enlarging their houses to meet natural growth. Meanwhile, he added, Israeli settlements are being expanded without interruption.
The Israelis, according to Abu Ghannam, use trivial pretexts to prevent residents from building houses in al-Tur. Sometimes they claim the lands are conserved open space reserves, then they claim the land has been confiscated to be used for public purposes. “These are all pretexts to take the land for settlements so as to maintain control in Jerusalem.”
Before Israel built the Har Homa settlement on Jabal Abu Ghneim near Bethlehem and Maale Adumim east of Jerusalem, the government used to prevent Palestinian construction in the area by claiming it was dedicated for building national parks. "All of a sudden two major Israeli settlements have been built in the area," he said.
Another Israeli demolition raid targeted Eisawiya village where bulldozers razed three steel structures used as sheep barns and a scrap yard. The barns belonged to Natsha family, while the scrap yard belonged to Gheith family.
Israeli forces leveled an area of 2,000 square meters and uprooted several trees.
Locals told Ma'an that a large number of Israeli forces including special forces, police horsemen, and border guard officers raided Khallat al-Ein neighborhood in al-Tur. The invading forces denied residents and journalists access to the area before they forced two families to quickly evacuate their houses for demolition. The families were given only minutes to pull out some of their belongings.
Zakariyya al-Daya told Ma’an that without a prior notice, Israeli forces stormed his house and another house belonging to his brother Abdul-Aziz and ordered the families to evacuate them for demolition. Al-Daya asserted that he had obtained a court decision to suspend the demolition order until October. He tried to show the soldiers the decision but they refused to argue with him and attacked him with pepper spray, he said.
Al-Daya explained that the two houses measured 120 square meters and used to shelter 12 family members. They were built six years earlier on a private tract of land. The Israeli municipal council of Jerusalem then ordered the family to pay a fine of 20,000 shekels followed by another fine of 60,000 shekels which the family is still paying in installments.
Separately, Israeli forces demolished a building under construction in the same neighborhood belonging to Mahir Abu Sbeitan. A member of a Jerusalem follow-up committee, Mufid Abu Ghanam, told Ma’an that the two-story building measured 250 square meters and consisted of four apartments.
He highlighted that Israeli authorities prevent Palestinian residents of Jerusalem from building new houses on their own private land or enlarging their houses to meet natural growth. Meanwhile, he added, Israeli settlements are being expanded without interruption.
The Israelis, according to Abu Ghannam, use trivial pretexts to prevent residents from building houses in al-Tur. Sometimes they claim the lands are conserved open space reserves, then they claim the land has been confiscated to be used for public purposes. “These are all pretexts to take the land for settlements so as to maintain control in Jerusalem.”
Before Israel built the Har Homa settlement on Jabal Abu Ghneim near Bethlehem and Maale Adumim east of Jerusalem, the government used to prevent Palestinian construction in the area by claiming it was dedicated for building national parks. "All of a sudden two major Israeli settlements have been built in the area," he said.
Another Israeli demolition raid targeted Eisawiya village where bulldozers razed three steel structures used as sheep barns and a scrap yard. The barns belonged to Natsha family, while the scrap yard belonged to Gheith family.
Israeli forces leveled an area of 2,000 square meters and uprooted several trees.
by PCHR/ Narratives
Khader Merwan Al Seidi (26) is one of Gaza's fishermen and a victim of the repeated military attacks carried out by Israeli forces against fishermen in the Gaza Sea. Khader is the breadwinner for a family of 14 members. He is married with a one-year-old child, and resides with his extended family in a house in Shati refugee camp. The camp, located along the Gaza shore, is home to most of Gaza's fishermen, for whom the sea is their main source of livelihood.
On 13 August 2013, Khader left his home early in the morning, and made his way to Gaza seaport. From there, he sailed west, remaining within the Israeli-imposed limit of 6 nautical miles offshore, to fish for the day. However, Khader was attacked by Israeli naval forces, arrested, and interrogated, and his boat and fishing tools were confiscated. Khader was released 15 hours later.
Khader describes the incident as follows: "At around 12 am, I sailed from Gaza seaport on my boat with three of my fisherman friends, one of whom accompanied us on another boat. We sailed to the west until we reached 6 nautical miles off shore. We threw the fishing nets into the sea but, after a while, the engine of the other boat broke down. We helped our friend by taking him to shore. It was around 3:30am when we returned in my boat to the place where we had thrown our nets in order to retrieve them. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a whistle coming from an Israeli gunboat, which approached and started to shoot at us. The gunboat was accompanied by two small rubber dinghies on which there were a number of Israeli soldiers. The three boats surrounded our boat. There was no prior warning. They started shooting directly at us. It seemed like a trap, since they had allowed us to throw our nets in earlier. In the past, they used to shoot at us even before we threw our nets."
Khader Merwan Al Seidi (26) is one of Gaza's fishermen and a victim of the repeated military attacks carried out by Israeli forces against fishermen in the Gaza Sea. Khader is the breadwinner for a family of 14 members. He is married with a one-year-old child, and resides with his extended family in a house in Shati refugee camp. The camp, located along the Gaza shore, is home to most of Gaza's fishermen, for whom the sea is their main source of livelihood.
On 13 August 2013, Khader left his home early in the morning, and made his way to Gaza seaport. From there, he sailed west, remaining within the Israeli-imposed limit of 6 nautical miles offshore, to fish for the day. However, Khader was attacked by Israeli naval forces, arrested, and interrogated, and his boat and fishing tools were confiscated. Khader was released 15 hours later.
Khader describes the incident as follows: "At around 12 am, I sailed from Gaza seaport on my boat with three of my fisherman friends, one of whom accompanied us on another boat. We sailed to the west until we reached 6 nautical miles off shore. We threw the fishing nets into the sea but, after a while, the engine of the other boat broke down. We helped our friend by taking him to shore. It was around 3:30am when we returned in my boat to the place where we had thrown our nets in order to retrieve them. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a whistle coming from an Israeli gunboat, which approached and started to shoot at us. The gunboat was accompanied by two small rubber dinghies on which there were a number of Israeli soldiers. The three boats surrounded our boat. There was no prior warning. They started shooting directly at us. It seemed like a trap, since they had allowed us to throw our nets in earlier. In the past, they used to shoot at us even before we threw our nets."
"I immediately cut the net in order to flee, but I was injured in the intensive shooting by a rubber-coated bullet to my right hand. One of my friends attempted to sail the boat after I was injured, but he was hit by rubber bullets to the back and chest. Suddenly, I saw one of the small Israeli boats passing out our boat. The engine of our boat was shot and another of my friends was injured, so our boat stalled amidst the continued shooting. One of the Israeli soldiers boarded the boat and started shooting at the engine which was completely destroyed. Another of the soldiers forced us to take our clothes off and jump onto one of the dinghies.
"We were in a state of fear and panic due to the continued shooting around us. One of the Israeli soldiers asked, "Where were you fishing?" I answered that I had been fishing within the 6-mile limit. However, he insisted that I was outside the limit. We were transported in the dinghy for around 15 minutes, and then we were transferred to the Israeli gunboat, where they handcuffed us and covered our heads. We stayed there from approximately 4 a.m. until 11am. The sun was hot and we were constantly beaten. My boat, which is my only source of livelihood, was confiscated again. The Israeli gunboat then took us to Ashdod port. We were taken to a room to receive medical treatment"
"At approximately 2pm, we were individually questioned for a few minutes each. The interrogator was very sarcastic while interrogating me. He joked about how frequently my boat had been confiscated, without any consideration for how painful that was for me. When I told him that fishing was my only source of livelihood, he replied that that was not his concern. He asked me for information on other fishermen. He asked me to sign a document in Hebrew which I did not understand. I refused and asked him to read to me what was written. He had written that I had initiated the attack on the Israeli soldiers, as well as many other claims, so I refused to sign. I also refused to be transferred to an Israeli hospital despite my poor condition. I was afraid."
At approximately 4 pm, Khader a long Hasan 'Ali Hasan Murad (27), Mohammed Jamal Hassan al-No'aman (28), and his brother Hasan (27) were transferred, handcuffed, by bus to the Beit Hanoun ("Erez"). They were then taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza in order to receive medical treatment.
This is the second time in three months that Khader's boat and fishing instruments have been confiscated. The first incident occurred on 5 June 2013. Khader states: "I still have not received any information about the previously confiscated property. I know that what they took will not be returned. The first boat confiscated was my own. When it was confiscated, I got a loan to buy an engine to put on another boat. I still haven't paid for the loan. The second boat is not mine. It belongs to some relatives. Now, I have to pay for the engine and the boat." Devastated by the resulting financial burdens, Khader has not been able to resume fishing or provide properly for his family. Khader explains: "I have been watching my family starve for the past week. Fishing is not a consistent source of livelihood in Gaza. Sometimes, I earn what feeds my children for the day, sometimes for the week and sometimes, I get nothing at all."
These constant attacks also result in social instability and tension within the family. Khader's mother, Um Khader, explains how difficult it is to live in the house of a fisherman who has had all of his property confiscated and is incapable of compensating for his financial loss: "They shout all the time. They are angry and helpless." Knowing the risks fishermen face on a daily basis, Um Khader wishes that her son had learned any other profession. "This time last week, when Khader did not arrive home at his usual time, we became worried. We thought his engine might have stalled. We thought he might have drowned in the sea. His relatives went out to sea to look for him, but in vain. No one told us that Khader and his friends had been injured and imprisoned. I waited for him along the shore with his wife from 10am until 7pm when they finally called. He usually gets home at around 10am. When he doesn't arrive by then, I know that something bad must have happened to him."
Khader knows no other profession but fishing, in which he has been working for the past seven years. However, for him, the Israeli decision to increase the fishing area to 6 nautical miles has had no significant impact, but has rather increased the risk to both his life and his property. He states: "What is the use of increasing the fishing area to 6 miles when they will eventually confiscate our property and our fishing tools in front of our eyes? How can it alleviate the fishermen's suffering when we are no longer sure if we are fishing in the right place? We never know whether we are going to be left to fish in peace or if we will be the subject of Israeli attacks."
Khader was arrested while fishing within the Israeli-designated 6 nautical mile limit. Israel has unilaterally imposed an illegal "buffer zone", an area prohibited to Palestinians along the land and sea borders of the Gaza Strip. The precise area designated by Israel as a "buffer zone" is unclear and this Israeli policy is often enforced with live fire. In accordance with the ceasefire agreement that ended Israel's last military offensive on the Gaza Strip in November 2012, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) in an online statement on 25 February 2013 declared that fishermen could now access the sea up to 6 nautical miles offshore instead of the previously-imposed 3 nautical miles. However, this reference, along with the reference to the increased land area, was later removed from the statement. On 21 March 2013, the Israeli forces' spokesperson announced re-reducing the fishing area allowed for Palestinian fishermen from 6 nautical miles to 3 nautical miles. However, on 21 May 2013, Israeli authorities decided to allow fishermen to sail up to 6 nautical metres once more. The arbitrary and changing parameters of the so-called "buffer zone" have led to huge confusion among fishermen. As a result, the sea, their main source of livelihood, can only be accessed with high risk.
Preventing Palestinians from accessing their fishing areas violates numerous provisions of international human rights law, including the right to work, the right to an adequate standard of living, and the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Enforcing the "buffer zone" through the use of live fire often results in, inter alia, the direct targeting of civilians and/or indiscriminate attacks, both of which constitute war crimes. Israel's attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip constitute a violation of international humanitarian law as codified under Article 147 of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention. Moreover such attacks can constitute war crimes under Articles 8(2)(a)(i) and (iii) Article 8 (2)(b)(i) of the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute. The implementation of the 'buffer zone', maintained through attacks, constitutes a measure of collective punishment, which is prohibited under Article 33 of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention. The right to work, including in just and favourable conditions, is provided for under Article 6 and 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Moreover, Article 11 of the ICESCR recognizes "the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions."
"We were in a state of fear and panic due to the continued shooting around us. One of the Israeli soldiers asked, "Where were you fishing?" I answered that I had been fishing within the 6-mile limit. However, he insisted that I was outside the limit. We were transported in the dinghy for around 15 minutes, and then we were transferred to the Israeli gunboat, where they handcuffed us and covered our heads. We stayed there from approximately 4 a.m. until 11am. The sun was hot and we were constantly beaten. My boat, which is my only source of livelihood, was confiscated again. The Israeli gunboat then took us to Ashdod port. We were taken to a room to receive medical treatment"
"At approximately 2pm, we were individually questioned for a few minutes each. The interrogator was very sarcastic while interrogating me. He joked about how frequently my boat had been confiscated, without any consideration for how painful that was for me. When I told him that fishing was my only source of livelihood, he replied that that was not his concern. He asked me for information on other fishermen. He asked me to sign a document in Hebrew which I did not understand. I refused and asked him to read to me what was written. He had written that I had initiated the attack on the Israeli soldiers, as well as many other claims, so I refused to sign. I also refused to be transferred to an Israeli hospital despite my poor condition. I was afraid."
At approximately 4 pm, Khader a long Hasan 'Ali Hasan Murad (27), Mohammed Jamal Hassan al-No'aman (28), and his brother Hasan (27) were transferred, handcuffed, by bus to the Beit Hanoun ("Erez"). They were then taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza in order to receive medical treatment.
This is the second time in three months that Khader's boat and fishing instruments have been confiscated. The first incident occurred on 5 June 2013. Khader states: "I still have not received any information about the previously confiscated property. I know that what they took will not be returned. The first boat confiscated was my own. When it was confiscated, I got a loan to buy an engine to put on another boat. I still haven't paid for the loan. The second boat is not mine. It belongs to some relatives. Now, I have to pay for the engine and the boat." Devastated by the resulting financial burdens, Khader has not been able to resume fishing or provide properly for his family. Khader explains: "I have been watching my family starve for the past week. Fishing is not a consistent source of livelihood in Gaza. Sometimes, I earn what feeds my children for the day, sometimes for the week and sometimes, I get nothing at all."
These constant attacks also result in social instability and tension within the family. Khader's mother, Um Khader, explains how difficult it is to live in the house of a fisherman who has had all of his property confiscated and is incapable of compensating for his financial loss: "They shout all the time. They are angry and helpless." Knowing the risks fishermen face on a daily basis, Um Khader wishes that her son had learned any other profession. "This time last week, when Khader did not arrive home at his usual time, we became worried. We thought his engine might have stalled. We thought he might have drowned in the sea. His relatives went out to sea to look for him, but in vain. No one told us that Khader and his friends had been injured and imprisoned. I waited for him along the shore with his wife from 10am until 7pm when they finally called. He usually gets home at around 10am. When he doesn't arrive by then, I know that something bad must have happened to him."
Khader knows no other profession but fishing, in which he has been working for the past seven years. However, for him, the Israeli decision to increase the fishing area to 6 nautical miles has had no significant impact, but has rather increased the risk to both his life and his property. He states: "What is the use of increasing the fishing area to 6 miles when they will eventually confiscate our property and our fishing tools in front of our eyes? How can it alleviate the fishermen's suffering when we are no longer sure if we are fishing in the right place? We never know whether we are going to be left to fish in peace or if we will be the subject of Israeli attacks."
Khader was arrested while fishing within the Israeli-designated 6 nautical mile limit. Israel has unilaterally imposed an illegal "buffer zone", an area prohibited to Palestinians along the land and sea borders of the Gaza Strip. The precise area designated by Israel as a "buffer zone" is unclear and this Israeli policy is often enforced with live fire. In accordance with the ceasefire agreement that ended Israel's last military offensive on the Gaza Strip in November 2012, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) in an online statement on 25 February 2013 declared that fishermen could now access the sea up to 6 nautical miles offshore instead of the previously-imposed 3 nautical miles. However, this reference, along with the reference to the increased land area, was later removed from the statement. On 21 March 2013, the Israeli forces' spokesperson announced re-reducing the fishing area allowed for Palestinian fishermen from 6 nautical miles to 3 nautical miles. However, on 21 May 2013, Israeli authorities decided to allow fishermen to sail up to 6 nautical metres once more. The arbitrary and changing parameters of the so-called "buffer zone" have led to huge confusion among fishermen. As a result, the sea, their main source of livelihood, can only be accessed with high risk.
Preventing Palestinians from accessing their fishing areas violates numerous provisions of international human rights law, including the right to work, the right to an adequate standard of living, and the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Enforcing the "buffer zone" through the use of live fire often results in, inter alia, the direct targeting of civilians and/or indiscriminate attacks, both of which constitute war crimes. Israel's attacks against Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip constitute a violation of international humanitarian law as codified under Article 147 of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention. Moreover such attacks can constitute war crimes under Articles 8(2)(a)(i) and (iii) Article 8 (2)(b)(i) of the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute. The implementation of the 'buffer zone', maintained through attacks, constitutes a measure of collective punishment, which is prohibited under Article 33 of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention. The right to work, including in just and favourable conditions, is provided for under Article 6 and 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Moreover, Article 11 of the ICESCR recognizes "the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions."
26 aug 2013
The Israeli bulldozers demolished on Monday residential apartments and barracks and swept lands in the villages of Al-Tur and Esawyeh in Jerusalem.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center was informed that Israeli bulldozers targeted the areas that are at risk of being seized in favour of the “National Park 11092 A” project in Al-Tur and Esawyeh through seizing 740 Dunoms from the citizens’ lands.
The Israeli forces surrounded the villages of Al-Tur and Esawyeh since the early morning hours and prevented the locals and journalists from approaching the area.
Al-Tur…
The bulldozers demolished two houses in Khallet Al-Ein in Al-Tur that belong to Aldayeh family and a residential building that is under construction and belongs to Abu Sbitan family.
Zakariya Aldayeh explained that he was surprised when the forces raided his home to execute the demolition process under the pretext of building without a permit, knowing that he has a court decision to postpone the demolition until next October.
Zakariya Aldayeh pointed out that he tried to present the court order that he has to the forces but they refused to consider it and rather assaulted him and sprayed him with pepper gas spray which led to some burns.
The two houses are owned by Zakariya Aldayeh and his brother Abdelazziz, and they are 120 square meters; the demolition process let to the displacement of 12 individuals. They were built 6 years ago on the family’s land and the municipality imposed a 20-thousand NIS fine which has been paid in full, and then imposed another 60-thousand NIS fine.
When the bulldozers finished demolishing the two houses, they started demolishing a residential building that is under construction which is owned by Maher Abu Sbitan and is 250 square meters that consists of 2 floors (4 residential apartments).
In the village of Esawyeh, bulldozers demolished two sheep barracks this morning that belong to Al-Natsheh family, in addition to demolishing a scrap barracks and an office for Gheith family. A 2-Dunom land was also swept and fruitful trees were removed.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center was informed that Israeli bulldozers targeted the areas that are at risk of being seized in favour of the “National Park 11092 A” project in Al-Tur and Esawyeh through seizing 740 Dunoms from the citizens’ lands.
The Israeli forces surrounded the villages of Al-Tur and Esawyeh since the early morning hours and prevented the locals and journalists from approaching the area.
Al-Tur…
The bulldozers demolished two houses in Khallet Al-Ein in Al-Tur that belong to Aldayeh family and a residential building that is under construction and belongs to Abu Sbitan family.
Zakariya Aldayeh explained that he was surprised when the forces raided his home to execute the demolition process under the pretext of building without a permit, knowing that he has a court decision to postpone the demolition until next October.
Zakariya Aldayeh pointed out that he tried to present the court order that he has to the forces but they refused to consider it and rather assaulted him and sprayed him with pepper gas spray which led to some burns.
The two houses are owned by Zakariya Aldayeh and his brother Abdelazziz, and they are 120 square meters; the demolition process let to the displacement of 12 individuals. They were built 6 years ago on the family’s land and the municipality imposed a 20-thousand NIS fine which has been paid in full, and then imposed another 60-thousand NIS fine.
When the bulldozers finished demolishing the two houses, they started demolishing a residential building that is under construction which is owned by Maher Abu Sbitan and is 250 square meters that consists of 2 floors (4 residential apartments).
In the village of Esawyeh, bulldozers demolished two sheep barracks this morning that belong to Al-Natsheh family, in addition to demolishing a scrap barracks and an office for Gheith family. A 2-Dunom land was also swept and fruitful trees were removed.
Secretary General of Islamic-Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, Hanna Issa, condemned the Israeli new demolition orders against Palestinian houses in Silwan in occupied Jerusalem under the pretext of being built without permit. In a statement issued on Monday, Issa said that the Israeli demolition policy violates the international human rights law and aims at displacing Palestinians from their houses and confiscating their lands.
According to the human rights law no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property, he said, labeling the Israeli demolition policy a serious violation to the Palestinians' right of suitable accommodation.
He pointed out that the Israeli authorities fabricate false and flimsy pretexts in order to implement the demolition orders against Palestinian houses in occupied Jerusalem.
Occupied Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, thus it is subject to the provisions of the international law, the international humanitarian and human rights law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 related to the protection of civilians in times of war despite the Israeli refusal to abide by these conventions, he added.
Issa said that while Palestinians' houses in Jerusalem are daily subjected to demolition threats, the Israeli government continues to establish new settlements in occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) razed two houses Monday morning in Tur in occupied Jerusalem under the pretext of being built without permit in another practical show of the policy of demolition against Palestinian houses.
The first house's owner said that the IOF demolished his house, which covers 120 square meters and shelters 12 family members, for being built without permit, pointing out that he had tried for the past six years to get a permit especially that he was fined twice but all his efforts went in vain.
The Israeli occupation authorities demolished the house in order to confiscate the land in favor of the building public gardens for the Jewish settlers, he said.
He pointed out that the Israeli municipality refuses to grant construction permits to Jerusalemites as part of its forcible displacement policy against them to implement its Judaization schemes.
According to the human rights law no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property, he said, labeling the Israeli demolition policy a serious violation to the Palestinians' right of suitable accommodation.
He pointed out that the Israeli authorities fabricate false and flimsy pretexts in order to implement the demolition orders against Palestinian houses in occupied Jerusalem.
Occupied Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, thus it is subject to the provisions of the international law, the international humanitarian and human rights law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 related to the protection of civilians in times of war despite the Israeli refusal to abide by these conventions, he added.
Issa said that while Palestinians' houses in Jerusalem are daily subjected to demolition threats, the Israeli government continues to establish new settlements in occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) razed two houses Monday morning in Tur in occupied Jerusalem under the pretext of being built without permit in another practical show of the policy of demolition against Palestinian houses.
The first house's owner said that the IOF demolished his house, which covers 120 square meters and shelters 12 family members, for being built without permit, pointing out that he had tried for the past six years to get a permit especially that he was fined twice but all his efforts went in vain.
The Israeli occupation authorities demolished the house in order to confiscate the land in favor of the building public gardens for the Jewish settlers, he said.
He pointed out that the Israeli municipality refuses to grant construction permits to Jerusalemites as part of its forcible displacement policy against them to implement its Judaization schemes.
Finance Committee of the Jerusalem City Council approved Sunday a new budget for infrastructure aimed at adding 1,500 housing units in Ramat Shlomo settlement in occupied Jerusalem. Palestinian researcher, specialized in Israeli settlements affairs, Ahmad Son-Laban, stated that the units are meant for expanding Ramat Shlomo settlement towards the Palestinian town of Shu’fat and the Ramot settlement.
Sob-Laban said that this plan would lead to more illegal annexation of Palestinian lands in Shu’fat, and will seriously limit any possibility of expanding Shu’fat and Beit Hanina from their western sides. Under the plan, Israel would be illegally confiscating 580 Dunams of Palestinian lands in Shu’fat.
He further stated that appeals have been filed against the plan, but the Israeli Constructions Committee rejected some of the appeal, and did not even look into the rest.
The move comes just after Israelis and Palestinians resumed talks after a five-year stalemate. Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues separating the two sides, Yediot Ahranot Hebrew newspaper said.
Sob-Laban said that this plan would lead to more illegal annexation of Palestinian lands in Shu’fat, and will seriously limit any possibility of expanding Shu’fat and Beit Hanina from their western sides. Under the plan, Israel would be illegally confiscating 580 Dunams of Palestinian lands in Shu’fat.
He further stated that appeals have been filed against the plan, but the Israeli Constructions Committee rejected some of the appeal, and did not even look into the rest.
The move comes just after Israelis and Palestinians resumed talks after a five-year stalemate. Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues separating the two sides, Yediot Ahranot Hebrew newspaper said.
At around 7:00 am on Monday, August 26, 2013, seven Israeli tanks accompanied by armored bulldozers moved under heavy covering fire about 200 meters inside As-Sa’adat area east of Beit Hanoun, in North Gaza district. Israeli bulldozers leveled lands that had been frequently razed before.
The tanks then moved to the south to Al Qatbaniya, Khour Zanoun, and Abu Safiya areas east of the Islamic Cemetery east of Jabaliya. At around midday, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) withdrew from the area. No causalities or injuries were recorded but farmers were terrified and abandoned their work.
The tanks then moved to the south to Al Qatbaniya, Khour Zanoun, and Abu Safiya areas east of the Islamic Cemetery east of Jabaliya. At around midday, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) withdrew from the area. No causalities or injuries were recorded but farmers were terrified and abandoned their work.
An Israeli military force Monday raided quarries in the Bethlehem area and seized equipment and several bulldozers, according to Sameeh Thawabteh, an attorney for the stone and marble union. He told WAFA that forces raided the quarries in the town of Beit Fajjar, surrounded them and prevented anyone from going in or out of the area while they conducted a raid and search campaign in several quarries there.
Forces confiscated several bulldozers and equipment from the area, he said.
Forces confiscated several bulldozers and equipment from the area, he said.
Monday August 26, 2013, a number of Israeli extremists wrote racist graffiti on a wall of a local Palestinian home, in Al-Khan Market area in the Old City, in occupied East Jerusalem. Soldiers demolish a garage and a chicken farm in El-Eesawiyya, in East Jerusalem.
The settlers wrote “Price Tag”, and other racist graffiti, and tried to escape but the Israeli Police managed to apprehend them. The Police said that the six assailants have been caught carrying paint containers.
In related news, bulldozers of the Jerusalem City Council demolished, Monday, a garage and a chicken farm in Al-Eesawiyya town, in occupied East Jerusalem. The Jerusalem City Council claimed the construction were not licensed.
Media Coordinator of the Follow-up Committee in the town, Raed Abu Ryala Al-Eesawy, told the Radio Bethlehem 2000 that Israel is demolishing Palestinian property in the area as part of its illegal campaign to confiscate Palestinian property and lands so that it can build its “National Gardens” area.
Four days ago, Israeli extremists threw a Molotov cocktail at a Christian Monastery in the Deir Jamal area, between Jerusalem and Ramla.
Racist Price Tag graffiti, used Price Tag extremist Israeli groups, were found on the exterior walls of the church.
On Monday at dawn [June 24], a number of masked extremist Israeli settlers attacked 22 Palestinian cars in Beit Hanina, in occupied East Jerusalem, slashed their tires before drawing the Star of David on one of the vehicles, and wrote racist graffiti on the front wall of a local home.
Just one week earlier, Price Tag graffiti was also found on the outer walls of a Church in the Old City, the assailants also punctured tires of 28 Palestinian cars, and wrote racist graffiti in Abu Ghosh.
On Friday [June 14 2013] Israeli extremists set ablaze two Palestinian cars in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem, and wrote racist graffiti, including Price Tag.
The extremists also wrote racist graffiti on some graves in the Christian Greek Orthodox graveyard in Jaffa. They further wrote “Price Tag”, “Revenge”, and drew the Star of David on a number of graves.
More racist graffiti was found on a wall of a building inhabited by the head of the Orthodox Society in Jaffa, and even wrote graffiti on the wall of the home Khaled Kaboub, an Arab District Court Judge in Tel Aviv.
On Thursday [June 13 2013], extremist settlers defaced a Christian Cemetery in Jaffa, and spray-painted “Price Tag”, and “Revenge” on tombstones.
On Friday [June 7 2013], Israeli extremists burnt a Palestinian car in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Dozens of Price Tag attacks have been carried out against Churches, Mosques, Islamic and Christian graveyards.
Such attacks also targeted Palestinian lands and orchards [including burning and uprooting dozens of trees and farmlands], Palestinian property, and in some cases targeted Israeli peace groups.
On June 12 2013, the Israeli Police revealed that extremist Israeli groups carried out 165 Price Tag attacks against the Palestinians and their property, in the West Bank, and in the 1948 territories since the beginning of the year.
“Price Tag” is the term extremist Israeli settlers and extremist groups use when they attack Palestinian property; it is meant to send a message that “the Palestinians must pay the price whenever illegal outposts are removed by Israel following court rulings in this regard.
Some Price Tag attacks have been carried out against property of Israeli leftists and peace groups.
Israel Demolishes Garage and Poultry Farm in Occupied Jerusalem
On Monday, Israeli bulldozers demolished a Garage and a poultry farm in the village of al-Issawiya, central occupied Jerusalem, on claims that they were built without Israeli authorization.
Media spokesperson of the follow-up committee in the village, Raed Abu Rialeh al-Issawy, expressed concerns over the continued destruction campaig carried out against the Palestinian houses in Jerusalem.
Al-Issawy said that the demolition process and the confiscation of Jerusalemite lands in the area have increased recently, as Israeli authorities aim to seize these lands for the benefit of establishing the Israeli project, or the so called "Talmudic gardens" between the Damascus Gate and Herod's Gate (Bab el-Amoud) in occupied Jerusalem.
The settlers wrote “Price Tag”, and other racist graffiti, and tried to escape but the Israeli Police managed to apprehend them. The Police said that the six assailants have been caught carrying paint containers.
In related news, bulldozers of the Jerusalem City Council demolished, Monday, a garage and a chicken farm in Al-Eesawiyya town, in occupied East Jerusalem. The Jerusalem City Council claimed the construction were not licensed.
Media Coordinator of the Follow-up Committee in the town, Raed Abu Ryala Al-Eesawy, told the Radio Bethlehem 2000 that Israel is demolishing Palestinian property in the area as part of its illegal campaign to confiscate Palestinian property and lands so that it can build its “National Gardens” area.
Four days ago, Israeli extremists threw a Molotov cocktail at a Christian Monastery in the Deir Jamal area, between Jerusalem and Ramla.
Racist Price Tag graffiti, used Price Tag extremist Israeli groups, were found on the exterior walls of the church.
On Monday at dawn [June 24], a number of masked extremist Israeli settlers attacked 22 Palestinian cars in Beit Hanina, in occupied East Jerusalem, slashed their tires before drawing the Star of David on one of the vehicles, and wrote racist graffiti on the front wall of a local home.
Just one week earlier, Price Tag graffiti was also found on the outer walls of a Church in the Old City, the assailants also punctured tires of 28 Palestinian cars, and wrote racist graffiti in Abu Ghosh.
On Friday [June 14 2013] Israeli extremists set ablaze two Palestinian cars in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem, and wrote racist graffiti, including Price Tag.
The extremists also wrote racist graffiti on some graves in the Christian Greek Orthodox graveyard in Jaffa. They further wrote “Price Tag”, “Revenge”, and drew the Star of David on a number of graves.
More racist graffiti was found on a wall of a building inhabited by the head of the Orthodox Society in Jaffa, and even wrote graffiti on the wall of the home Khaled Kaboub, an Arab District Court Judge in Tel Aviv.
On Thursday [June 13 2013], extremist settlers defaced a Christian Cemetery in Jaffa, and spray-painted “Price Tag”, and “Revenge” on tombstones.
On Friday [June 7 2013], Israeli extremists burnt a Palestinian car in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Dozens of Price Tag attacks have been carried out against Churches, Mosques, Islamic and Christian graveyards.
Such attacks also targeted Palestinian lands and orchards [including burning and uprooting dozens of trees and farmlands], Palestinian property, and in some cases targeted Israeli peace groups.
On June 12 2013, the Israeli Police revealed that extremist Israeli groups carried out 165 Price Tag attacks against the Palestinians and their property, in the West Bank, and in the 1948 territories since the beginning of the year.
“Price Tag” is the term extremist Israeli settlers and extremist groups use when they attack Palestinian property; it is meant to send a message that “the Palestinians must pay the price whenever illegal outposts are removed by Israel following court rulings in this regard.
Some Price Tag attacks have been carried out against property of Israeli leftists and peace groups.
Israel Demolishes Garage and Poultry Farm in Occupied Jerusalem
On Monday, Israeli bulldozers demolished a Garage and a poultry farm in the village of al-Issawiya, central occupied Jerusalem, on claims that they were built without Israeli authorization.
Media spokesperson of the follow-up committee in the village, Raed Abu Rialeh al-Issawy, expressed concerns over the continued destruction campaig carried out against the Palestinian houses in Jerusalem.
Al-Issawy said that the demolition process and the confiscation of Jerusalemite lands in the area have increased recently, as Israeli authorities aim to seize these lands for the benefit of establishing the Israeli project, or the so called "Talmudic gardens" between the Damascus Gate and Herod's Gate (Bab el-Amoud) in occupied Jerusalem.
Israeli forces demolished every structure in the Bedouin community
Human Rights Watch called on Israel to end immediately the unlawful demolitions of Palestinian homes and other structures in occupied Palestine, noting that it raises war crime concerns. HRW issued a report on Sunday in which it indicated that the Israeli demolitions have displaced 79 Palestinians since August 19, 2013. It considered demolitions of homes and other structures that compel Palestinians to leave their communities may amount to the forcible transfer of residents of an occupied territory, as a war crime.
Human Rights Watch documented demolitions on August 19 in East Jerusalem that displaced 39 people, including 18 children. Israeli human rights groups and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented additional demolitions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank on August 20 and 21 that destroyed the homes of 40 people, including 20 children.
Joe Stork, acting Middle East director at Human Rights Watch said " When Israeli forces routinely and repeatedly demolish homes in occupied territory without showing that it’s necessary for military operations, it appears that the only purpose is to drive families off their land, which is a war crime,”.
Human Rights Watch called on Israel to end immediately the unlawful demolitions of Palestinian homes and other structures in occupied Palestine, noting that it raises war crime concerns. HRW issued a report on Sunday in which it indicated that the Israeli demolitions have displaced 79 Palestinians since August 19, 2013. It considered demolitions of homes and other structures that compel Palestinians to leave their communities may amount to the forcible transfer of residents of an occupied territory, as a war crime.
Human Rights Watch documented demolitions on August 19 in East Jerusalem that displaced 39 people, including 18 children. Israeli human rights groups and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented additional demolitions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank on August 20 and 21 that destroyed the homes of 40 people, including 20 children.
Joe Stork, acting Middle East director at Human Rights Watch said " When Israeli forces routinely and repeatedly demolish homes in occupied territory without showing that it’s necessary for military operations, it appears that the only purpose is to drive families off their land, which is a war crime,”.
Israeli municipality in Jerusalem decided on Sunday evening to demolish a floor in Shorfat primary school to the southern-west Jerusalem. Director of the Jerusalem Education Bureau Samir Jibril said," the municipality delivered the school the demolish order after issuing an administrative decision for that."
He indicated that the floor was built in 2000 to accommodate a large number of students. It included three classrooms for 60 students and a headmaster room.
"The Israeli forces issued the demolish decision years ago, while the school has appointed a lawyer in an attempt to stop the decision," he added.
He indicated that the floor was built in 2000 to accommodate a large number of students. It included three classrooms for 60 students and a headmaster room.
"The Israeli forces issued the demolish decision years ago, while the school has appointed a lawyer in an attempt to stop the decision," he added.
25 aug 2013
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) intends to install a gas pipeline running from the Palestinian towns of Tur'an and Kafr Kanna to Mashhad town in the lower Galilee, according to an informed source. Specialist in settlement affairs Radwan Hasan said on Saturday that the instalment of this gas pipeline across Palestinian-owned areas is part of the Israeli policy aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their own land and seizing their property.
Hasan explained that the pipeline would be used to transfer gas to Phoenicia glassware factory, which was built on Palestinian lands in Kafr Kanna and Mashhad towns.
He affirmed that this pipeline would deprive many Palestinian farmers from cultivating or using their own lands, which were seized for this project.
Hasan explained that the pipeline would be used to transfer gas to Phoenicia glassware factory, which was built on Palestinian lands in Kafr Kanna and Mashhad towns.
He affirmed that this pipeline would deprive many Palestinian farmers from cultivating or using their own lands, which were seized for this project.
23 aug 2013
PLO's Negotiations Affairs Department issued Friday, a new fact sheet entitled "Israeli Home Demolition Policy in Occupied East Jerusalem August 2013."
Between the announcement of resumption of negotiations (July 30th) and the third Israel-Palestine meeting (August 20th), 25 Palestinian homes have been demolished in Occupied East Jerusalem
Since 1967, Israel's stated goal in Jerusalem is to maintain a Jewish demographic majority in the city. Towards this end, Israel has introduced a series of discriminatory policies that specifically target Palestinian residents living in occupied East Jerusalem. These policies are designed to:
a) Reduce the size of the Palestinian population living in occupied East Jerusalem;
b) Facilitate Israeli settlement expansion and the illegal transfer of Israel's own population into occupied East Jerusalem; and
c) Achieve exclusive Israeli control over all of Jerusalem. These policies resulted in population displacement, expulsions and home demolition.
The main purpose of the house demolition policy is to dispossess Palestinian families from East Jerusalem and change the nature of the city. Estimates indicate that since 1967, Israel demolished more than 3,380 homes and other structures in occupied East Jerusalem, including several historic and religious sites, such as the historic Moroccan Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Link to complete Fact Sheet [PDF]
Between the announcement of resumption of negotiations (July 30th) and the third Israel-Palestine meeting (August 20th), 25 Palestinian homes have been demolished in Occupied East Jerusalem
Since 1967, Israel's stated goal in Jerusalem is to maintain a Jewish demographic majority in the city. Towards this end, Israel has introduced a series of discriminatory policies that specifically target Palestinian residents living in occupied East Jerusalem. These policies are designed to:
a) Reduce the size of the Palestinian population living in occupied East Jerusalem;
b) Facilitate Israeli settlement expansion and the illegal transfer of Israel's own population into occupied East Jerusalem; and
c) Achieve exclusive Israeli control over all of Jerusalem. These policies resulted in population displacement, expulsions and home demolition.
The main purpose of the house demolition policy is to dispossess Palestinian families from East Jerusalem and change the nature of the city. Estimates indicate that since 1967, Israel demolished more than 3,380 homes and other structures in occupied East Jerusalem, including several historic and religious sites, such as the historic Moroccan Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Link to complete Fact Sheet [PDF]
|
|
On the morning of the19th August, two hundred soldiers in thirty-eight jeeps and with two military dogs dismantled several tents housing the Tal ‘Adasa Bedouin community in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina.
At around 6am, Israeli soldiers surrounded the Bedouins tents, pointing guns at the fifty-three residents, which includes twenty-eight children. The family members were separated into three groups, always under the threat of guns, and were not allow to move for three hours. Children were not permitted to go to the bathroom nor to have anything to drink or eat. At 9am, two armored bulldozers invaded the camp, destroying all the tents, animal facilities and furniture. The two military-trained dogs |
attacked the sheep and goats of the Bedouin, causing them to scatter all around. The Bedouins, worried about losing their flocks, ignored the soldiers orders and ran after them, managing to bring them back.
Three hours later, the soldiers left the area but before fining the community with 70,000 NIS for use of the bulldozers and – according to Israeli authorities – for illegally occupying the land. One of the eldest men of the community was told by Israeli soldiers that they have to clear the area within the next ten days, otherwise they will be arrested.
Three hours later, the soldiers left the area but before fining the community with 70,000 NIS for use of the bulldozers and – according to Israeli authorities – for illegally occupying the land. One of the eldest men of the community was told by Israeli soldiers that they have to clear the area within the next ten days, otherwise they will be arrested.
The Red Cross and Palestine Red Crescent personnel visited the community after the demolitions and provided the Bedouins with nine tents. However, when international activists visited the community, there were only twenty-eight people left. Most of the children were moved to Jericho where they won’t be able to continue their schooling as they are already registered in the schools located in Beit Hanina area.
Surrounded by mountains of rubble and damaged furniture piled up around the area Abo Hosean Kaabna stated; “We have been living in Beit Hanina for over 60 years, since 1948 after being forcibly displaced from Al Khalil during the Nakba in 1948″. “I have been taking care of that olive tree for 16 years”, continued with deep sorrow on his face and tears in his eyes, pointing out a large tree in front of him.
If the threats of the Israeli authorities are carried out, next Wednesday, the soldiers will go back and arrest the remaining Bedouins, as the community has no intention of leaving the area.
“Please, don’t forget us. This is not finished yet, we will have to face other problems later. Our community will have to look for another place to live but we don’t know where we could go and families will be forced to be separate again”, said Abu Hosean Kaabna.
This Bedouin community received a demolition order last June and since that time they have been expecting the order to be enforced, without knowing the exact date that their homes would be destroyed.
The Tal ‘Adasa Bedouin community has been living in Beit Hanina for over 50 years after being displaced from Hebron and Beer Seba areas during the 1948 Nakba. Despite living within the Jerusalem boundaries, residents of this community only hold West Bank IDs. In 2006, the Annexation Wall was constructed to the east and west of the community, isolating it from the rest of the West Bank. Israeli authorities rarely issue them permits to cross Qalandiya checkpoint and access the West Bank, cutting them off from villages such as Bir Nabala and Ram, where they have family relatives.
For nearly the past twenty years Israeli officials have attemped in several occasions to force them off their land. However, even after the Israeli forces demolished their houses, residents of Tal ‘Asada remain steadfast on the land.
Surrounded by mountains of rubble and damaged furniture piled up around the area Abo Hosean Kaabna stated; “We have been living in Beit Hanina for over 60 years, since 1948 after being forcibly displaced from Al Khalil during the Nakba in 1948″. “I have been taking care of that olive tree for 16 years”, continued with deep sorrow on his face and tears in his eyes, pointing out a large tree in front of him.
If the threats of the Israeli authorities are carried out, next Wednesday, the soldiers will go back and arrest the remaining Bedouins, as the community has no intention of leaving the area.
“Please, don’t forget us. This is not finished yet, we will have to face other problems later. Our community will have to look for another place to live but we don’t know where we could go and families will be forced to be separate again”, said Abu Hosean Kaabna.
This Bedouin community received a demolition order last June and since that time they have been expecting the order to be enforced, without knowing the exact date that their homes would be destroyed.
The Tal ‘Adasa Bedouin community has been living in Beit Hanina for over 50 years after being displaced from Hebron and Beer Seba areas during the 1948 Nakba. Despite living within the Jerusalem boundaries, residents of this community only hold West Bank IDs. In 2006, the Annexation Wall was constructed to the east and west of the community, isolating it from the rest of the West Bank. Israeli authorities rarely issue them permits to cross Qalandiya checkpoint and access the West Bank, cutting them off from villages such as Bir Nabala and Ram, where they have family relatives.
For nearly the past twenty years Israeli officials have attemped in several occasions to force them off their land. However, even after the Israeli forces demolished their houses, residents of Tal ‘Asada remain steadfast on the land.
Hanan Ashrawi, member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and participant in the US brokered peace negotiations, announced on Wednesday, that if Israel continues settlement expansion, the PLO will have to turn to international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) or the International Court of Justice.
“At the last meeting of the executive committee we decided that if the US and the international community does not stop Israel from pursuing such a policy, we will have to resort, and have recourse to international judicial venues in order to put an end to such Israeli measures, which are designed, as I said, to destroy the chances of peace.”
Several news agencies are wrongly claiming that Ashrawi’s statement conflicts with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abba’s earlier promise to postpone reaching out the United Nations (UN). Ashrawi directly addressed this issue, saying, “When president Mahmoud Abbas said we will postpone going to the UN, this was as part of the agreement on the release of all Palestinian prisoners. It has nothing to do with the (peace) talks themselves.”
71 homes were demolished in Jerusalem since the beginning of the year. 25 of those were destroyed following the recent resumption of peace negotiations. Dr. Ashrawi said, “This is a deliberate affront to Kerry’s initiatives to start talks,” and later continued, “we believe if there are to be talks based on international law, with meaning, with validity, with integrity, and with the chance of leading us to peace, then Israel has to stop all encroachments into Palestinian land, including the illegal apartheid wall of annexation and separation, and including its stepped up settlement expansion everywhere, particularly in and around Jerusalem, but also throughout the West Bank.”
“At the last meeting of the executive committee we decided that if the US and the international community does not stop Israel from pursuing such a policy, we will have to resort, and have recourse to international judicial venues in order to put an end to such Israeli measures, which are designed, as I said, to destroy the chances of peace.”
Several news agencies are wrongly claiming that Ashrawi’s statement conflicts with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abba’s earlier promise to postpone reaching out the United Nations (UN). Ashrawi directly addressed this issue, saying, “When president Mahmoud Abbas said we will postpone going to the UN, this was as part of the agreement on the release of all Palestinian prisoners. It has nothing to do with the (peace) talks themselves.”
71 homes were demolished in Jerusalem since the beginning of the year. 25 of those were destroyed following the recent resumption of peace negotiations. Dr. Ashrawi said, “This is a deliberate affront to Kerry’s initiatives to start talks,” and later continued, “we believe if there are to be talks based on international law, with meaning, with validity, with integrity, and with the chance of leading us to peace, then Israel has to stop all encroachments into Palestinian land, including the illegal apartheid wall of annexation and separation, and including its stepped up settlement expansion everywhere, particularly in and around Jerusalem, but also throughout the West Bank.”
22 aug 2013
Several Palestinian homes and trees have been demolished by Israeli forces, as illegal settlement construction continues in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds.
Israeli bulldozers destroyed three homes on Tuesday in Sliwan, a neighborhood of East al-Quds.
On Monday, six Bedouin residences in Beit Hanina were also demolished.
These homes were razed under the pretext of not having been built with a permit.
On August 13, the Israeli regime announced that 900 new illegal settlements would be constructed in Gilo, in addition to the 1,200 new settler homes that were approved a few days earlier.
Over half a million Israeli settlers inhabit more than 120 illegal settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.
These settlements are illegal according to international law because the lands were captured in the 1967 war and are therefore subject to the Geneva Convention, which prohibits construction on occupied territories.
Israeli bulldozers destroyed three homes on Tuesday in Sliwan, a neighborhood of East al-Quds.
On Monday, six Bedouin residences in Beit Hanina were also demolished.
These homes were razed under the pretext of not having been built with a permit.
On August 13, the Israeli regime announced that 900 new illegal settlements would be constructed in Gilo, in addition to the 1,200 new settler homes that were approved a few days earlier.
Over half a million Israeli settlers inhabit more than 120 illegal settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.
These settlements are illegal according to international law because the lands were captured in the 1967 war and are therefore subject to the Geneva Convention, which prohibits construction on occupied territories.
