A New Series of Demolition Orders in the Jordan Valley
– The Case of Az Zubaidat Community –

On November 18, 2009, the Israeli authorities handed over Palestinian residents of Al-Zubeidat village in the Jordan Valley 15 military orders notifying them that their residential hut and animal corral will be demolished under the pretext of lacking proper authorization.

 

Moreover, on November 25, 2009, The Israeli occupation Army handed over local residents from Al-Aqaba village in Tubas Governorate; 8 military orders to demolish residential huts under the pretext of lacking building permits.  Among the owners of the threatened structures are Mr. Abdel Naser Subeih, Nr. Hisham Hosni Subeih, and Mr. Ahmad Jamil Subeih.

Also on November 25, 2009, in Tayaseer village, the local residents Mr. Mahmud Najeh Hamdan Jaber and Mr. Jaber Najeh Hamdan Jaber received two military orders notifying them to stop construction in their existing houses until they obtain building permits from the Israeli Civil Administration. Map 1

However, the Israeli Civil administration almost never issue any permits for Palestinians for construction in the Jordan Valley area. In fact, Palestinians were denied permits to build clinics for emergency services, and school classes for children, among many other services. Indeed, the Jordan valley area stands to be the least development area in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1967.

 

Al-Zubeidat is a Palestinian village located in the middle of the Jordan valley and has a population of 1561 resident. It is bordered by Marj Na’jeh from the north, Marj Ghazal from the south, the Israeli bypass road #90 from the east, and the Illegal Israeli settlement of Argaman from the west.  

 

Tayaseer is one of the Palestinian villages of Tubas Governorate, located in the northern parts of the Jordan Valley and inhabited by 2793 residents. The village is bordered by Salhab Palestinian community from the northwest, Al-Thagra village from the south, Al-Aqaba village from the east, and ‘Aqqaba community from the west.

 

Al-Aqaba is one of the Palestinian villages of Tubas Governorate, located in the northern parts of the Jordan Valley, and has a population of more than 300 residents. Al-Aqaba village had been severely affected by the Israeli colonial practices; with 39 residential huts and animal corrals and a school had received Israeli military demolition orders under the pretext of lacking building permits.

 

It is worth mentioning that Al-Zubeidat, Tayaseer and Al-Aqaba villages are located in Area ‘C’ lands, which is under the full Israeli Administrative and security control according to the Oslo II Agreement of 1995. accordingly, the Israeli occupation require that Palestinian residents to apply for building permits; even though such a request exceed its jurisdiction as an occupation unless there is a justified security concern not to allow Palestinian to build. However, issuance of building permits from the Israeli ‘Civil Administration’ for Palestinians remains almost impossible so Palestinians have no choice but to build without the authorization to cope with the population growth, and the increasing need for education, health, and other necessities to their daily lives.

 

during November 2009, the Israeli Occupation Army handed over 41 demolition orders to the Palestinian resident of (Fassayel, Al-Jiftlik, Al-Aqaba, Tayaseer, and Al-Zubeidat), of the Jordan Valley for their residential huts and animal corrals, which goes hand in hand with the Israeli policy to evacuate and squeeze the Palestinians out of the Jordan valley area, while allowing the Israeli settlements to flourish.

 

The Israeli systematic house demolition campaign carried out by the Israeli Army flagrantly violates the International humanitarian law rules, conventions, and United Nations Security Resolutions.

 

Article 53 &147 of the  Fourth Geneva Convention which provides that: ‘Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

 

Article 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 indicates that ‘ Extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, is a grave breach of the Convention’.

 

Moreover, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965) Article 5 provides that: ‘States’ Parties undertake to prohibit and eliminate racial discrimination in all of its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, color, or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of the following rights: (e) in particular … (iii) the right to housing’.

 

In the year 2004 the United Nations Security Council called on Israel to stop demolition of Palestinian homes under Resolution No. 1544-(2004), the resolution states: ‘The Security Council called on Israel to respect its obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly the obligation not to undertake home demolitions contrary to that law’.

 

Also the universal Declaration of Human Rights Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Article 17 reads that ‘No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.’ Which means it bans Israel from destroying or confiscating the property of the Palestinians at any case.