On the 5th of August, 2008 Israeli occupation forces, headed by the so-called Civil Administration Officer, raided a number of locations southwest of the town of Beit Ummar in Hebron Governorate and submitted 4 “Stop Work” orders against 4 houses in the town.  The forces, also, ordered a stone quarry to be shut down and instructed the owner to leave it and to remove all of the tools and machinery used in it. Three residential houses are present within the quarry which is owned by Mr. Yousef Abu Ayyash.

 

The “Stop Work” orders are undersigned by the so-called Civil Administration and Management Supreme Council – the Sub-Commission for Inspection. The orders also set the 4th and the 5th of September, 2008 for a court hearing in Bet El to “discuss” the issue of house demolition. Some of the targeted houses are inhabited while others are under construction. They are located in the regions of Shu’eb Al Sair, Shu’eb Al Suweid and Thaher Al Barahiesh in the southwestern parts of the town of Beit Ummar across from the colony of Karmi Tzur.

 

Tens of Palestinians Live in Fear and Anticipation after Receiving the “Stop Work” Orders:

Currently, 19 Palestinians are living in fear of becoming homeless after receiving the Stop Work orders. The three houses in the quarry, in which the owner, his son and the employees were living in during their working week, are already shut down.

 

The following table lists the relevant information regarding the targeted houses:  

Name of House Owner	No. Family Members	Area (in m2)	No. of Houses	Location	Type of Building	State of House
Mohammad Rasheed Abdel Rahman Arar	4	130	1	Shu’eb Al Sair	Bricks	Inhabited
Nabil Khaled Mirshed Sabarneh	7	160	1	Thaher Al Barahiesh	Cement blocks	Unfinished and uninhabited
Faris Mohammad Musa Al Shiqdam	4	90	1	Shu’eb Al Sair	Bricks	Inhabited
Sabri Abdel Fattah Arar	4	120	1	Shu’eb Al Sair	Stone	Walls and infrastructure
Yousef Abdel Aziz Abu Ayyash	12	15,000	3	Shu’eb Al Suweid	Quarrey and houses	Quarry and three houses.
TOTAL	31	15,500	7

 

 A house under construction owned by Mr. Nabil Khaled Sabarneh which received a Stop Work order.

The house of Mr. Faris Mohammad Al Shiqdam  which received a Stop Work order.

The walls and infrastructure of the house of Mr. Sabri Abdel Fattah Arara which received a Stop Work order.

It is worth mentioning that Mr. Mohammad Rashid Abdel Rahman Arrar has the Turkish Tabu (deed) for the land upon which he built his house.

 

 

The Turkish Tabu of the land of Mr. Mohammad Arar

 

The threatened house of Mr. Mohamamd Rasheed Arar.

Ten Workers Became Unemployed Due to the Israeli Orders:

The number of employees working in the quarry is 10 all of which are married and have families. Some of them support families of 5 individuals while others support families between 8 to 12 individuals while one worker supports a family of 20 individuals. These workers used to get paid between NIS 2,500 and NIS 5,000 per month. Now, they have become jobless and without adequate source of income.

 

Mr. Yousef Abu Ayyash estimates that the quarry loses an average of NIS 20,000 per day due to the excellent quality stones and marbles produced by it.  

 

 The houses inside the quarry that are threatened by the closure of the quarry.

 

He also indicated the following to the Land Research Center’s field researcher: ' We have been subjected to an intense harassment campaign by the Israeli occupation forces that made it a habit to search the quarry to look for “stone throwers.” Also, a month ago they have raided the quarry, arrested the guard and took him to the colony of Karmi Tzur. He was later transported to the Police Station in Gush Etzion for ‘investigation.” He was later released.'

Photo 2: The Quarry

 

 

  

Copy of Military Orders

 

 

Prepared by:
The Land Research Center
LRC