Israeli Occupation Forces Target Khirbet Yarza with Demolition Again

Violation: A demolition campaign in Khirbet Yarza for the second time in less than 3 months.

Date: February 17, 2011

 

 

Khirbet Yarza is a small Bedouin community located in the heart of the northern parts of the Jordan Valley. It has always been targeted by Israeli occupation forces in a sustained effort to uproot it and use its lands for further colonial expansion under a number of pretexts. None of the structures in the Khirbet (including houses, bruxes, animal sheds, etc) have been spared Israeli-issued demolition orders under the pretext of being present in “Military Closed Areas”.

 

 In the face of this sustained eviction policies, the 70 residents of the khirbet insisted on staying put in their lands as to cut short the Israeli plans of their eviction. Even the mosque was not spared. It was built out of wood and mud in mid 2010 with local efforts and funds to be a center for worship only to be given a Stop Work Order upon its completion. It was demolished on the 25^th of December, 2010.

 

 However, it was re-built once again only to be demolished once again on the 17^th of February 2011. Yet, the second demolition was much more devastating as it targeted it from its bases and nothing was left of it. The demolition of the mosque is a clear indication of the racism that engulfs the Israeli occupation forces and its non-respects for the holy sites of the others.

 

At 12:00 PM on Thursday February 17, 2011, Khirbet Yarza was targeted once again with demolition as two Israeli military bulldozers accompanied by 8 jeeps raised havoc in it. All told, 7 bruxes were demolished along with the Khirbet’s mosque while an additional 8 bruxes were taken apart by their owners in an effort to save what can be saved. The affected Palestinian population is about 64 including 29 children.

 

In addition to the demolition, Israeli occupation forces issued and distributed 3 eviction orders against three families in the Khirbet. The eviction, according to the order, must be done within a period of 24 hours due to “the presence of the families in a Closed Military Area.”  The heads of the targeted families are Mr. Fawzi Mahmoud Einabousi, Mr. Na’eim Hafez Masa’eid and Mr. Fayez Hamed Eid Shreida.

  

  

The following table lists the names of the affected Palestinians and their relevant information:

 

Name	Bruxes	Toilets	Other	Family Members	Children	Notes
Khaled Mohamamd Mahmoud Masa’eid	2			8	5	Two bruxes were dismantled  before being demolished
The mosque		2	1			The area of the mosque was 150 m2
Mohammad Mahmoud Ibraheem Daraghma	2		4			Two demolished bruxes
Na’eim Hafez Masa’eid	4	1	1	17	8	Two bruxes and a storage area was demolished by the occupation forces while an additional two bruxes were dismantled by the owner.
Sami Khaled Mahmoud Daraghma	1			5	3	Demolished by occupation forces.
Hasan Khaled Mahmoud Daraghma	1			6	4	Demolished by occupation forces.
Ameir Khaled Mahmoud Daraghma	2			6		One demolished by occupation forces while the other was dismantled by the owner.
Fawzy Mahmoud Einabousi	2			8	1	Dismantled by the owner.
Mahmoud Fawzi Einabousi	1			10	8	Dismantled by the owner.
TOTAL	15	3	2	64	29

 

  

  

 

 

 

More information vis-à-vis Khirbet Yarza, please consult the following two links:

 

1) The Israeli Occupation issues a stop-work order against a mosque and a number of agricultural structures

2)  The Israeli Occupation Demolishes a Mosque and 27 Structures in Khirbit Yirza