Demolition Orders against Four Structures in Hajja

Violation: demolition orders against 4 residential and agricultural structures in Hajja.

Location: Hajja village, Eastern Qalqiliya.

Perpetrators:  the Israeli Occupation Organization and Construction Committee.

Victims: Hajja’s villagers.

 

On October 18, 2010, the Israeli Occupation Organization and Construction Committee issued stop-work orders against 3 residential and agricultural structures in Hajja.

 

This was done under the lame pretext of “no permit” since these structures are constructed in areas classified ‘C’ according to Oslo Accords.

 

    

According to the orders, the owners are ought to immediately halt construction and start their seek for permits. They also have to be present at Beit El military Court with all the needed documents.

 

Table 1: information about the victims:

No	Victim	Area (m2)	Number of structures	Family members	Children (under 18)	Structure type	picture
1	‘Atef Zyab	130	1	9	5	Residential (one storey)	1
2	Zaher Hamad	80	1	7	4	Barn	2
3	‘Atef Hassan	240	2	8	5	Residential (two stories)	3
total		450	4	24	14

 

It must be noted that the number of orders issued against structures in Hajja has reached 45 since 2004; ten of them had already been demolished. In addition to many other agricultural structures that have been dismantled by the owners since 2000.

 

Hajja suffers from the lack of construction area, it is expansion is extremely limited. According to the organizational plan that was placed in 1994, the construction area in the village shall not exceed 377 dunum. The current construction area is not enough for the natural growth purposes.

 

Since 1994, no changes have been made to the plan and the natural growth of the village has not been considered. Many Palestinians were forced to mull over vertical expansion by adding stories to already constructed structures. However, the Israelis forbid vertical expansion forcing many young men to consider leaving the village and looking for other places to live.

 

Hajja is located in the eastern part of Qalqiliya; to the north of Al Funduq village. By-pass road “55” divides the village into two parts. Its total area is around 11718 dunums including 337 dunums of built-up area which is inhabited by 2148 people. Its residents depend largely on agriculture in their living, in addition to working inside the West Bank and the Occupied Territories.