Jerusalem Under Occupation – 2010

The Israeli policies contradict with the International Law and all the ethical codes in this world. The Israelis escalated their aggressions against the Palestinians and their properties during 2010; the most significant violations were committed against the right to residency.

 

The Land Research Center documented 129 cases of house demolitions, evictions, and seizures; besides, it documented 252 demolition threats. All of these measures were carried out under the pretext of “no construction permits” knowing that obtaining a construction permit in the Occupied City and its surrounding is almost impossible.

 

In 2010 only, Israeli colonists managed to capture 18 Palestinian residences while acquiring full support from the Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City. In addition, they attempted to seize 56 other houses. The Old City houses suffered cracks and drastic damages because of the continuous excavations beneath the Old City. Israeli colonists residing in the Old city deliberately pump sewage water towards the Palestinian houses especially in the winter where it mixes with the rain water; damaging the foundation of the houses.

 

Violations were not limited to the right to residency, they also included various violations; many raids took place throughout the year especially in Silwan; such raids resulted in the kidnapping of family members besides terrorizing children and messing up families belongings.

 

Since 1967, the Israeli Occupation confiscated Palestinian lands while using various justifications for their acts. More than 1496 dunums of Palestinian lands were confiscated for various purposes including the segregation wall, colonial expansion, or the so-called public good. Furthermore, more than 157 dunums were plowed, soaked with sewage, or set alight. Additionally, 730 trees were torched, 900 were uprooted, and more than 2500 drowned with sewage.

 

 

The Land Research Center have documented 1010 house demolition and forceful eviction cases that occurred in the Occupied City since 2000. 31 houses, totaling 2572 m2, were demolished in 2010; these houses sheltered more than 224 Palestinian including 115 children. 5 houses were demolished while being under construction devastating the dreams of 33 people, including 19 children, of better lives. More drastically, 9 Palestinian families were forced to destroy their own houses to avoid paying huge fines in addition to demolition costs. It is considered the worse of all since it leaves the owners with an unhealing scar.

 

Location	Area (m2)	Number of residences	Rooms	Family members	Children (under 18)
At Tur	176	4	9	26	14
Silwan	400	5	13	38	24
Jaba’	210	3	10	25	12
Old City	100	3	4	28	16
Al ‘Isawiyya	720	6	27	43	22
Beit Hanina	70	1	3	6	2
Jabal al Mukabbir	338	4	13	34	13
Sur Baher	680	9	23	51	33
Al Sheikh Jarrah	80	1	3	9	6
Ath Thuri	96	1	3	6	2
Kafr ‘Aqab	120	1	3	7	5
Al No’man	170	1	6	7	4
Total	3160	39	117	280	153

 

The Israeli had also targeted the commercial and agricultural structures in an attempt to hit the Palestinians economy and forcing them to leave; making it easier to replace them with Jewish settlers. During 2010, more than 90 Palestinian structures of different types were destroyed. The demolished structures totaled 13668 m2; more than 330 Palestinians benefited economically from them. More than 250 goats, 6 horses, and a large number of chicken were left shelter-less thanks to the aggressions. The dead were not even spared; more than 160 Muslim graves were destroyed in Ma’man Allah cemetery.

 

Location	Area (m2)	Number of structures	Number of victims
Silwan	236	5	22
Al Sheikh Jarrah	60	2	14
Beit Hanina	1520	8	14
Beit Safafa	100	1	7
Ath Thuri	130	3	21
Al Ram	150	4	7
Al ‘Isawiyya	362	15	68
Hizma	10820	23	146
At Tur	1440	28	145
Ma’man Allah	0	1	160 (graves)
Total	14818	90	444

The Israeli Occupation Authorities threatened 145 Palestinian residences and 9 other structures of demolition, leaving the dwellers (834 people) living in continuous anxiety. The Israeli Occupation renewed demolition threats issued in 2009, most of them are located in Silwan. In 2009, the Israeli Occupation Authorities issued 538 demolition orders targeting 4042 people; most of these are trying hard to issue the needed permits.

 

Location	Residences		Structures		Total endangered structures
	Number	Family members	Number	victims
Old City	3	24	5	150	8
Al ‘Isawiyya	26	182	1	8	27
Silwan	156	1684	*1	—	157
Beit Hanina	46	276	—	—	46
Shu’fat	8	35	—	—	8
Al ‘Isawiyya	2	10	—	—	2
Beit Safafa	1	7	—	—	1
Jabal al Mukabbir	—	—	1	20	1
Qutna	—	—	2	—	2
Total	242	2218	10	178	252

The number of houses captured by Israeli colonists increased during 2010; in 2009, 17 houses were captured, whereas 18 faced the same fate during 2010 including a building containing 9 apartments; one of those is still inhabited by its Palestinian dwellers while the colonists are fiercely trying to take over it.

 

Furthermore, the Israeli Supreme Court delays the sentence in favor of 17 Palestinian families who managed to provide evidence proving the ownership of their houses.The Israeli Police Procedural Force forged an Israeli Supreme Court Order in order to use to evict 10 Palestinian families. In Kubaniyyat Um Haroon, 28 families face eviction threats; ten of them are facing real threat because they lack lease contracts with the State of Israel. Israeli colonists claim ownership of the Palestinian property.

 

Violation	Number of residences
House seizures	18
Seizure attempts	56
Drowning houses	20
Excavations *	15
Raids **	47
Total	111

 

 

Location	Area (dunum)
Shu’fat and Shu’fat refugee camp	255
Silwan	155
Al ‘Isawiyya	660
Al Sheikh Jarrah	18
Beit Safafa	153
‘Anata	110
Qutna	65
Beit Iksa	80
Total	1496

 

 

Location	Plowed lands	Aggressions against lands	Torched trees	Uprooted trees	Trees soaked in sewage
Beit Hanina	30	70	170	—	—
Al Jib	—	100	—	—	2500
Qalandiyya	4	—	—	—	—
Shu’fat	50	—	—	—	—
At Tur	20	3	—	460	—
Al ‘Isawiyya	53	3	—	60	—
Mikhmas	—	13	10	380	—
Beit Iksa	—	220	550	—	—
Total	157	409	730	900	2500

 

All of these aggressions, and many others, confirms the Israeli Occupation colonial plans; the house demolitions and seizures were never based on any organizational plans or security purposes, their sole purpose is strengthening the Jewish presence in the Occupied City of Jerusalem. Milling by-pass roads and establishing railway networks forms other parts of the Israeli Occupation overall plan.

 

The Land Research Center – Arab Studies Society – views the Israeli Occupation measures as a clear violation of the basis of the Human Rights principals and the International Humanitarian Law.

 

Demolition of properties is a violation of article 53 of the Geneva Fourth Convention stating:” 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.”.