10 june 2018
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have persisted in their encroachment on Palestinian property and facilities in Bethlehem and Jericho and Jordan Valley governorates.
The representative of the anti-settlement and anti-separation wall committee in Bethlehem, Hassan Beraijeyya, said that IOF soldiers erected on Sunday metal gates at the entrances to Palestinian lands, belonging to the Ghenaim family.
The IOF troops also placed ten containers to store products in lands owned by the Dabesh family in al-Khader town in southern Bethlehem.
In a similar context, IOF soldiers handed over home-evacuation orders to a number of Arab al-Zayed area in al-Nuwaima town north of Jericho city. The evacuation orders were handed out in preparation for razing the houses, according to Mayor of Jericho and Jordan Valley governorate, Majed al-Fityani.
The representative of the anti-settlement and anti-separation wall committee in Bethlehem, Hassan Beraijeyya, said that IOF soldiers erected on Sunday metal gates at the entrances to Palestinian lands, belonging to the Ghenaim family.
The IOF troops also placed ten containers to store products in lands owned by the Dabesh family in al-Khader town in southern Bethlehem.
In a similar context, IOF soldiers handed over home-evacuation orders to a number of Arab al-Zayed area in al-Nuwaima town north of Jericho city. The evacuation orders were handed out in preparation for razing the houses, according to Mayor of Jericho and Jordan Valley governorate, Majed al-Fityani.
The Israeli police on Saturday evening arrested the head of the chamber of commerce in Jerusalem Kamal Obeidat and his deputy Raed Sa'ada and took them for interrogation over their organization of an Iftar gathering for journalists.
The police, accompanied by intelligence officers, stormed Jerusalem Hotel, surrounded it, forced all people inside the hotel out, and distributed an order banning Ramadan Iftar gatherings in the place.
The Israeli authorities have been gradually trying to ban Palestinian events of any kind in Jerusalem encouraged by the US recognition of the holy city as Israel's capital.
In another context, the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem municipality on Sunday morning confiscated equipment belonging to Palestinian shops in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The municipality claimed that the owners of these shops had brought the confiscated equipment without obtaining a legal license.
The Ramadan season was always considered a chance by Jerusalem traders to revive the city's economy. However, Israel's tightened restrictions recently have created a state of stagnation among Jerusalem markets.
These measures include the municipality's daily targeting of Palestinian shops and stalls, especially in the Old City, and the ban imposed on Palestinian women coming from neighboring villages to sell their vegetables and handcrafts in Jerusalem.
The police, accompanied by intelligence officers, stormed Jerusalem Hotel, surrounded it, forced all people inside the hotel out, and distributed an order banning Ramadan Iftar gatherings in the place.
The Israeli authorities have been gradually trying to ban Palestinian events of any kind in Jerusalem encouraged by the US recognition of the holy city as Israel's capital.
In another context, the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem municipality on Sunday morning confiscated equipment belonging to Palestinian shops in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The municipality claimed that the owners of these shops had brought the confiscated equipment without obtaining a legal license.
The Ramadan season was always considered a chance by Jerusalem traders to revive the city's economy. However, Israel's tightened restrictions recently have created a state of stagnation among Jerusalem markets.
These measures include the municipality's daily targeting of Palestinian shops and stalls, especially in the Old City, and the ban imposed on Palestinian women coming from neighboring villages to sell their vegetables and handcrafts in Jerusalem.
Israeli forces served notices, on Sunday, ordering Palestinian Bedouin families living near the village of Nuway’imah, to the north of Jericho in the West Bank, to leave the residential shacks where they live prior to demolishing them, according to local WAFA sources.
Governor of Jericho Majed al-Fetyani condemned the Israeli military order describing it as a “forcible transfer” of the original Palestinian population from the area.
Israeli forces have frequently demolished residential structures, including tents and shacks, as a means to forcefully displace Palestinian citizens and confiscate their lands.
Having no other choice, many Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, under complete Israeli control, are forced to build without permits to be able to provide a shelter for their families, risking having their buildings demolished.
IOF notifies demolition of Palestinian homes near Jericho
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Sunday stormed al-Nuway'imah town, north of Jericho, and handed two Palestinian citizens orders to evacuate their houses in preparation for their demolition.
Local residents told the PIC reporter that the IOF stormed Arab al-Zayed area and handed Mahmoud al-Zayed and Ail al-Zayed the demolition notices. Other citizens in the area received similar notices earlier.
Head of the Arab al-Zayed Bedouin community Sheikh Abdul-Rahim al-Zayed told the PIC reporter that there is an Israeli plan to seize about 150 dunums of the village's lands and annex them to the nearby Mevo'ot Yeriho settlement.
He added that the Israeli settlers usually roam the area armed with guns and attack the residents of Arab al-Zayed in an attempt to push them to leave their lands.
Governor of Jericho Majed al-Fetyani condemned the Israeli military order describing it as a “forcible transfer” of the original Palestinian population from the area.
Israeli forces have frequently demolished residential structures, including tents and shacks, as a means to forcefully displace Palestinian citizens and confiscate their lands.
Having no other choice, many Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, under complete Israeli control, are forced to build without permits to be able to provide a shelter for their families, risking having their buildings demolished.
IOF notifies demolition of Palestinian homes near Jericho
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Sunday stormed al-Nuway'imah town, north of Jericho, and handed two Palestinian citizens orders to evacuate their houses in preparation for their demolition.
Local residents told the PIC reporter that the IOF stormed Arab al-Zayed area and handed Mahmoud al-Zayed and Ail al-Zayed the demolition notices. Other citizens in the area received similar notices earlier.
Head of the Arab al-Zayed Bedouin community Sheikh Abdul-Rahim al-Zayed told the PIC reporter that there is an Israeli plan to seize about 150 dunums of the village's lands and annex them to the nearby Mevo'ot Yeriho settlement.
He added that the Israeli settlers usually roam the area armed with guns and attack the residents of Arab al-Zayed in an attempt to push them to leave their lands.
Dozens of Palestinian children will rally on Monday, to call on the international community and global leaders to intervene and prevent the demolition of their school.
The children, whose ages range between 8 to 16 years old, are from the Jahalin tribe that has, for decades, lived on the hills in the periphery of Jerusalem. The tyre school – funded by the Italian government – is the only school for children from Al-Khan Al-Ahmar and neighbouring communities.
On May 24th, 2018, the Israeli High Court ruled against an injunction by the community, paving the way for the Israeli military to demolish the school and other community structures, and putting the entire community at imminent risk of forcible transfer. Over 200 homes and community structures are slated for demolition, in the area.
The community of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar-Abu is one of the 46 Bedouin communities in the central occupied West Bank that the United Nations considers at risk of forcible transfer. Forcible transfer is defined as a war crime under international law, PNN further reports.
According to Save the Children there are currently 36 schools under threat of demolition.
Dr. Sabri Saidam, Palestinian Minister of Education, said, “We call upon our friends in the international community to protect children’s universal right to education. This school in the community of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar is built with European funding, and we urge European politicians and tax payers to join these children, to help them save their school and to hold Israel to account for violations that threaten children’s rights to education and their well being.
“Two years ago, Palestine joined the growing list of countries to sign the Safe Schools Declaration. We have committed fully to adopting the guidelines to ‘support the protection of students, teachers, schools, and universities from attack.
“I call upon our friends and partners in the international community and our counterparts in the Israeli government to commit to these guidelines and support our efforts to protect our future generations by ensuring safe access to education.”
The children, whose ages range between 8 to 16 years old, are from the Jahalin tribe that has, for decades, lived on the hills in the periphery of Jerusalem. The tyre school – funded by the Italian government – is the only school for children from Al-Khan Al-Ahmar and neighbouring communities.
On May 24th, 2018, the Israeli High Court ruled against an injunction by the community, paving the way for the Israeli military to demolish the school and other community structures, and putting the entire community at imminent risk of forcible transfer. Over 200 homes and community structures are slated for demolition, in the area.
The community of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar-Abu is one of the 46 Bedouin communities in the central occupied West Bank that the United Nations considers at risk of forcible transfer. Forcible transfer is defined as a war crime under international law, PNN further reports.
According to Save the Children there are currently 36 schools under threat of demolition.
Dr. Sabri Saidam, Palestinian Minister of Education, said, “We call upon our friends in the international community to protect children’s universal right to education. This school in the community of Al-Khan Al-Ahmar is built with European funding, and we urge European politicians and tax payers to join these children, to help them save their school and to hold Israel to account for violations that threaten children’s rights to education and their well being.
“Two years ago, Palestine joined the growing list of countries to sign the Safe Schools Declaration. We have committed fully to adopting the guidelines to ‘support the protection of students, teachers, schools, and universities from attack.
“I call upon our friends and partners in the international community and our counterparts in the Israeli government to commit to these guidelines and support our efforts to protect our future generations by ensuring safe access to education.”
A group of Israeli settlers on Sunday afternoon stormed Jabal Subeih area in Beita town south of Nablus.
The PIC reporter said that the settlers set up tents and caravans in the same place where an illegal outpost was established then dismantled months ago.
He added that the Palestinian families of Beita town were surprised by this move and considered it a "planned escalation" by the Israeli settlers.
The PIC reporter said that the settlers set up tents and caravans in the same place where an illegal outpost was established then dismantled months ago.
He added that the Palestinian families of Beita town were surprised by this move and considered it a "planned escalation" by the Israeli settlers.
Israeli settlers have uprooted dozens of olive trees Planted on Palestinian land north of Ramallah province, in the central Occupied West Bank.
Israeli settlers stormed Palestinian lands in Termas’iya village, north of Ramallah, and pulled up several olive trees.
Around 10 million olive trees are planted on Palestinian land, including in the occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip.
They are the only sources of income for nearly 100,000 farmers living across the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian government has no jurisdiction over Israelis in the occupied West Bank, and violations carried out by Israeli settlers often occur in the presence of Israeli military forces who rarely act to protect the Palestinians.
The majority of settler thefts and attacks committed against Palestinians are met with impunity, with Israelis rarely facing consequences for such thefts.
Israeli settlers stormed Palestinian lands in Termas’iya village, north of Ramallah, and pulled up several olive trees.
Around 10 million olive trees are planted on Palestinian land, including in the occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip.
They are the only sources of income for nearly 100,000 farmers living across the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian government has no jurisdiction over Israelis in the occupied West Bank, and violations carried out by Israeli settlers often occur in the presence of Israeli military forces who rarely act to protect the Palestinians.
The majority of settler thefts and attacks committed against Palestinians are met with impunity, with Israelis rarely facing consequences for such thefts.
Clashes erupted at daybreak Sunday as dozens of Israeli settlers broke into Palestinian homes and attacked the residents, resulting in injuries.
A PIC news correspondent said hordes of extremist Israeli settlers targeted Palestinian homes in the Shuhadaa Street with stones and empty bottles, before they aggressively beat civilians passing through the area.
At least five Palestinians sustained injuries and bruises in the assault, carried out under Israeli military escort.
An elderly Palestinian fell over after Israeli settlers heavily beat him up. The occupation soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching the area to evacuate the wounded.
At the same time the Israeli soldiers closed off a Palestinian home in the area shortly after it was assaulted by Israeli settlers. All the residents were forced out of the building under the pretext that they attacked Israeli settlers and soldiers.
A PIC news correspondent said hordes of extremist Israeli settlers targeted Palestinian homes in the Shuhadaa Street with stones and empty bottles, before they aggressively beat civilians passing through the area.
At least five Palestinians sustained injuries and bruises in the assault, carried out under Israeli military escort.
An elderly Palestinian fell over after Israeli settlers heavily beat him up. The occupation soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching the area to evacuate the wounded.
At the same time the Israeli soldiers closed off a Palestinian home in the area shortly after it was assaulted by Israeli settlers. All the residents were forced out of the building under the pretext that they attacked Israeli settlers and soldiers.
9 june 2018
Israeli forces demolish a home in Kobar village, August 16, 2018. Photo credit: Bahaa Nasr for WAFA.
POSTED BY: COREY SHERMAN JUNE 8, 2018
Even if Palestinians fulfill the appeal requirements put in place by military order 1797, Israeli authorities maintain complete authority to proceed with demolition.
Two Jerusalem legal aid organizations will petition the Israeli Supreme Court to overturn a new military order which makes it possible for Israeli forces to demolish Palestinian homes in Area C within 96 hours after delivering demolition orders.
The petition follows a formal letter the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC) and the St. Yves Society sent to the Israeli defense ministry on June 4, 2018 in which they argue that the military order “blatantly violates…international law and contravenes existing local legislation.”
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Territories (COGAT) issued military order 1797 on April 17, 2018. COGAT, under the direct control of the Israeli defense ministry, runs civil affairs in the occupied West Bank. Order 1797 will go into effect on June 19, 2018.
Under the order, COGAT excuses itself from informing Palestinian homeowners directly that their homes are slated for demolition. JLAC and St. Yves explain in a joint press release that Israeli authorities only require demolition orders be placed “next to” relevant structures 96 hours before Israeli forces arrive to execute demolitions.
If a homeowner does catch wind of an impending demolition, he or she must present an approved master plan and building permit to appeal the demolition. Israel’s discriminatory housing policies in the West Bank ensure that this is an almost impossible requirement for the 300,000 Palestinians living in Area C, 60 percent of the West Bank, to fulfill.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between 2010 and 2014, for example, Israel approved 1.5 percent of building applications in Area C. Israeli authorities, however, routinely approve of settlement master plans and even halt demolitions of settler outposts citing the existence of master plans, JLAC and St. Yves point out. Indeed, since 2017 Israeli officials have approved nearly 14,000 settlement units in the West Bank.
In addition to having to produce an approved master building plan within four days, Palestinian residents of Area C attempting to forestall demolition must prove that construction on their home or home addition has been completed for six months or that the structure has been inhabited for thirty days.
By requiring that Palestinians produce so many documents in such a short period of time, this military order “virtually strips the affected residents of the right to due process and the capacity to challenge the demolition orders through legal avenues, by requiring that objections to the demolition order be accompanied with a valid building permit,” JLAC and St. Yves wrote in their press release. Moreover, COGAT remains the sole arbiter of these appeals. Put differently, even if Palestinians fulfill the appeal requirements put in place by military order 1797, COGAT empowers itself to proceed with demolition anyway.
St. Yves and JLAC emphasize that this new military order violates international law, including Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which defines forcible transfer of occupied populations as a crime against humanity. The order also violates Article 43 of the 1907 Hague Regulations, which requires that an occupying power respect the laws in the country that it occupies. In this case, that means the Jordanian Planning and Construction Law, which allows residents to retroactively legalize home constructions in the face of a demolition order stemming from illegal construction.
One area that may be acutely impacted by this new military order is the E1 corridor, which sits between the Jerusalem municipality’s borders and the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. For years, Israeli politicians have proposed incorporating this area, which is in Area C, into the Jerusalem municipality.
Such developments are key to maintaining what Israel euphemistically calls a “demographic balance” in Jerusalem, i.e. restricting the Palestinian population to 30 percent of the city’s total population. Palestinian presence in Jerusalem today likely constitutes at least 40 percent of the city’s population.
The Palestinian Authority condemned military order 1797 when it was first announced. “This illegal development would generate more crimes against Palestinian rights of access to a safe and stable living environment and would worsen the already dire conditions of 393,000 Palestinian citizens,” the government said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Corey Sherman is a teacher in Washington D.C. and a contributing editor to aicnews.org.
POSTED BY: COREY SHERMAN JUNE 8, 2018
Even if Palestinians fulfill the appeal requirements put in place by military order 1797, Israeli authorities maintain complete authority to proceed with demolition.
Two Jerusalem legal aid organizations will petition the Israeli Supreme Court to overturn a new military order which makes it possible for Israeli forces to demolish Palestinian homes in Area C within 96 hours after delivering demolition orders.
The petition follows a formal letter the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC) and the St. Yves Society sent to the Israeli defense ministry on June 4, 2018 in which they argue that the military order “blatantly violates…international law and contravenes existing local legislation.”
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Territories (COGAT) issued military order 1797 on April 17, 2018. COGAT, under the direct control of the Israeli defense ministry, runs civil affairs in the occupied West Bank. Order 1797 will go into effect on June 19, 2018.
Under the order, COGAT excuses itself from informing Palestinian homeowners directly that their homes are slated for demolition. JLAC and St. Yves explain in a joint press release that Israeli authorities only require demolition orders be placed “next to” relevant structures 96 hours before Israeli forces arrive to execute demolitions.
If a homeowner does catch wind of an impending demolition, he or she must present an approved master plan and building permit to appeal the demolition. Israel’s discriminatory housing policies in the West Bank ensure that this is an almost impossible requirement for the 300,000 Palestinians living in Area C, 60 percent of the West Bank, to fulfill.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between 2010 and 2014, for example, Israel approved 1.5 percent of building applications in Area C. Israeli authorities, however, routinely approve of settlement master plans and even halt demolitions of settler outposts citing the existence of master plans, JLAC and St. Yves point out. Indeed, since 2017 Israeli officials have approved nearly 14,000 settlement units in the West Bank.
In addition to having to produce an approved master building plan within four days, Palestinian residents of Area C attempting to forestall demolition must prove that construction on their home or home addition has been completed for six months or that the structure has been inhabited for thirty days.
By requiring that Palestinians produce so many documents in such a short period of time, this military order “virtually strips the affected residents of the right to due process and the capacity to challenge the demolition orders through legal avenues, by requiring that objections to the demolition order be accompanied with a valid building permit,” JLAC and St. Yves wrote in their press release. Moreover, COGAT remains the sole arbiter of these appeals. Put differently, even if Palestinians fulfill the appeal requirements put in place by military order 1797, COGAT empowers itself to proceed with demolition anyway.
St. Yves and JLAC emphasize that this new military order violates international law, including Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which defines forcible transfer of occupied populations as a crime against humanity. The order also violates Article 43 of the 1907 Hague Regulations, which requires that an occupying power respect the laws in the country that it occupies. In this case, that means the Jordanian Planning and Construction Law, which allows residents to retroactively legalize home constructions in the face of a demolition order stemming from illegal construction.
One area that may be acutely impacted by this new military order is the E1 corridor, which sits between the Jerusalem municipality’s borders and the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. For years, Israeli politicians have proposed incorporating this area, which is in Area C, into the Jerusalem municipality.
Such developments are key to maintaining what Israel euphemistically calls a “demographic balance” in Jerusalem, i.e. restricting the Palestinian population to 30 percent of the city’s total population. Palestinian presence in Jerusalem today likely constitutes at least 40 percent of the city’s population.
The Palestinian Authority condemned military order 1797 when it was first announced. “This illegal development would generate more crimes against Palestinian rights of access to a safe and stable living environment and would worsen the already dire conditions of 393,000 Palestinian citizens,” the government said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Corey Sherman is a teacher in Washington D.C. and a contributing editor to aicnews.org.
Concerned about a recent ruling by Israel’s High Court of Justice authorizing the demolition of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al Ahmar and evacuation of its residents to a site near Abu Dis, AIDA, a network consisting of more than 80 INGOs operating in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), calls on Israel to halt its plans to forcibly relocate this vulnerable community and to allow them to live in peace and dignity in their current location.
AIDA also urges the international community to resort to appropriate measures to bring Israel into compliance with its international obligations.
According to the PNN, the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan Al Ahmar is comprised of 181 people, who originated from Tel Arad in the Negev and were displaced to the West Bank in 1951. The vast majority are Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA. The community has resided in its present location near Jerusalem since 2009.
Khan al Ahmar is located in Area C of the West Bank – under full Israeli civil and security control under the Oslo Accords – close to the Kfar Admumim settlement, a closed military zone and the foreseen extension of the West Bank Barrier.
Khan al Ahmar Abu Helu is one of 18 Bedouin communities belonging to the Jahalin tribe who are at risk of forcible transfer in the Jerusalem periphery because of their location in an area earmarked by Israel for the future expansion of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement block under the so-called ‘E1 Plan’.
Daniela Bernacchi, CEO & General Manager at Cesvi said: “The execution of Israel’s plan to connect Maale Adumim with Jerusalem would cut the West Bank in two, and further limit Palestinians’ freedom of movement and isolate communities”.
The community has been subjected to an increasingly coercive environment over the past couple of decades to force them to leave their homes and lands and accept their relocation. Beyond the absolute prohibition on forcible transfer prescribed by international law, Jabal West, the relocation site prepared by Israel near the Palestinian town of Abu Dis, raises humanitarian concerns, as it is located in an urban area, near a refuse dump site, and is therefore not appropriate to host a Bedouin community whose traditional lifestyle relies on herding and grazing.
The Israeli High Court of Justice’s ruling puts an end to a protracted legal battle that sought to protect Khan al Ahmar residents from forcible transfer. The community categorically rejects Israel’s relocation plan, and insists on their right of return to their ancestral lands in Southern Israel as the only durable solution to their plight. In the meantime, they have appealed to the international community for protection and assistance to remain in their current place of residence.
Furthermore, should Khan al Ahmar’s forcible transfer be allowed to materialize, it will serve as a negative precedent that could trigger the expedition of the forcible transfer of dozens of communities at risk across the West Bank.
“The relocation of Khan Al Ahmar would create a worrying precedent for other communities at risk of forcible transfer, besides paving the way for Israeli annexation of Palestinian land”, says Rossella Urru, Head of Mission at Première Urgence Internationale.
The majority of the structures at risk of demolition were provided as humanitarian assistance by the international community. These include a primary school, made of mud and tires, which serves 170 children from Khan al Ahmar and neighbouring Bedouin communities. The demolition of the school would constitute an attack on the right to education, which all states have an obligation to protect.
If carried out, the forcible transfer Khan al Ahmar would represent a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and, as such, constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute.
Therefore, AIDA urges the international community, including the EU and its Member States, the United States of America, and other international actors to:
Publicly condemn the ruling of the High Court of Justice in the case of Khan al Ahmar, which violates international law; Take concrete and immediate steps to prevent the demolition and relocation of Khan al Ahmar and bring Israel into compliance with international law;
Engage directly with the Government of Israel, reiterating that the wanton destruction of Palestinian property and obstruction of humanitarian assistance violate International Humanitarian Law; and that the forcible transfer of the Khan al Ahmar community and other communities at risk would constitute a war crime; Demand that the Government of Israel should immediately cease its plans to relocate Khan al Ahmar and other Palestinian communities in the West Bank and allow to remain and develop in their current locations;
Systematically protest against demolitions and confiscations of Palestinian property, and demand restitution or compensation from the Government of Israel for confiscated or demolished international assistance in oPt.
AIDA also urges the international community to resort to appropriate measures to bring Israel into compliance with its international obligations.
According to the PNN, the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan Al Ahmar is comprised of 181 people, who originated from Tel Arad in the Negev and were displaced to the West Bank in 1951. The vast majority are Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA. The community has resided in its present location near Jerusalem since 2009.
Khan al Ahmar is located in Area C of the West Bank – under full Israeli civil and security control under the Oslo Accords – close to the Kfar Admumim settlement, a closed military zone and the foreseen extension of the West Bank Barrier.
Khan al Ahmar Abu Helu is one of 18 Bedouin communities belonging to the Jahalin tribe who are at risk of forcible transfer in the Jerusalem periphery because of their location in an area earmarked by Israel for the future expansion of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement block under the so-called ‘E1 Plan’.
Daniela Bernacchi, CEO & General Manager at Cesvi said: “The execution of Israel’s plan to connect Maale Adumim with Jerusalem would cut the West Bank in two, and further limit Palestinians’ freedom of movement and isolate communities”.
The community has been subjected to an increasingly coercive environment over the past couple of decades to force them to leave their homes and lands and accept their relocation. Beyond the absolute prohibition on forcible transfer prescribed by international law, Jabal West, the relocation site prepared by Israel near the Palestinian town of Abu Dis, raises humanitarian concerns, as it is located in an urban area, near a refuse dump site, and is therefore not appropriate to host a Bedouin community whose traditional lifestyle relies on herding and grazing.
The Israeli High Court of Justice’s ruling puts an end to a protracted legal battle that sought to protect Khan al Ahmar residents from forcible transfer. The community categorically rejects Israel’s relocation plan, and insists on their right of return to their ancestral lands in Southern Israel as the only durable solution to their plight. In the meantime, they have appealed to the international community for protection and assistance to remain in their current place of residence.
Furthermore, should Khan al Ahmar’s forcible transfer be allowed to materialize, it will serve as a negative precedent that could trigger the expedition of the forcible transfer of dozens of communities at risk across the West Bank.
“The relocation of Khan Al Ahmar would create a worrying precedent for other communities at risk of forcible transfer, besides paving the way for Israeli annexation of Palestinian land”, says Rossella Urru, Head of Mission at Première Urgence Internationale.
The majority of the structures at risk of demolition were provided as humanitarian assistance by the international community. These include a primary school, made of mud and tires, which serves 170 children from Khan al Ahmar and neighbouring Bedouin communities. The demolition of the school would constitute an attack on the right to education, which all states have an obligation to protect.
If carried out, the forcible transfer Khan al Ahmar would represent a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and, as such, constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute.
Therefore, AIDA urges the international community, including the EU and its Member States, the United States of America, and other international actors to:
Publicly condemn the ruling of the High Court of Justice in the case of Khan al Ahmar, which violates international law; Take concrete and immediate steps to prevent the demolition and relocation of Khan al Ahmar and bring Israel into compliance with international law;
Engage directly with the Government of Israel, reiterating that the wanton destruction of Palestinian property and obstruction of humanitarian assistance violate International Humanitarian Law; and that the forcible transfer of the Khan al Ahmar community and other communities at risk would constitute a war crime; Demand that the Government of Israel should immediately cease its plans to relocate Khan al Ahmar and other Palestinian communities in the West Bank and allow to remain and develop in their current locations;
Systematically protest against demolitions and confiscations of Palestinian property, and demand restitution or compensation from the Government of Israel for confiscated or demolished international assistance in oPt.
8 june 2018
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Friday handed three Palestinian families orders to evict their homes located in al-Shuhada Street in the Old City of al-Khalil.
Local sources told the PIC reporter that the IOF order stipulates for evicting the three Palestinian homes within four hours.
The evacuation order also affects the house which was closed by IOF soldiers earlier on Thursday.
Local sources told the PIC reporter that the IOF order stipulates for evicting the three Palestinian homes within four hours.
The evacuation order also affects the house which was closed by IOF soldiers earlier on Thursday.
The Israeli occupation army on Friday morning launched a round of military maneuvers in Aqraba town east of Nablus in the northern West Bank.
Palestinian farmers living nearby reported that the Israeli army set up caravans on Thursday before tanks and other reinforcements later arrived in the area for the scheduled drills.
The Israeli occupation forces from time to time carry out military drills in the Palestinian farmlands of the West Bank causing severe damages in these lands.
Palestinian farmers living nearby reported that the Israeli army set up caravans on Thursday before tanks and other reinforcements later arrived in the area for the scheduled drills.
The Israeli occupation forces from time to time carry out military drills in the Palestinian farmlands of the West Bank causing severe damages in these lands.
