“Frenzied Israeli War against the Palestinian Lands & Properties” Uprooting, Burning, Razing, Leveling Hundreds of Dunums of the Palestinian Lands in all over the oPt

May 31, 2011

• May 28, 2011: the Israeli settlers of the Illegal Israeli settlement of Beit ‘Eein” [1] east of Beit Ummar town north of Hebron Governorate, attacked the Palestinian lands in “ ‘Ein Al-Beida area in the town and uprooted more than 20 Olive and vine trees owned by the local resident Abu Jaber Al-Sleibi. Mr. Al-Sleibi indicated that the Israeli Army had frequently prevented the local residents of the area from reaching their lands and cultivating them.

• May 29, 2011: the Israeli settlers of the Illegal Israeli settlement of Bitar ‘Illit [2] west of Bethlehem Governorate had deliberately open the sewage water in the settlement wastewater plant toward the lands of the adjacent Palestinian village of Nahalin, mainly in ‘Ein Faris area in the village which resulted in severe damage to dozens of dunums of Palestinian lands in the area most of it cultivated with fruits.

•  May 29, 2011: the Israeli settlers of the Illegal settlement of “Beit ‘Ein” attacked the Palestinian lands within Safa village, north of the city of Hebron, and uprooted and destroyed 20 olive trees and 20 vine trees in Wadi Abu Al-Reish area in the village owned by the local resident Hammad Abdel Hamid Jaber Al-Sleibi.

• May 30, 2011: Without prior notification, The Israeli Army bulldozers demolished one residential barracks and other for sheep owned by the resident Abdel Qader Abu Farda, in the Bedouin community of Arab Abu Farda behind the Israeli Segregation Wall in Qalqiliya Governorate in the northern parts of the West Bank.

• May 30, 2011: The Israeli Army bulldozers razed and leveled 5 dunums of lands in Al Ma’sara village south of Bethlehem Governorate owned by the heirs of Mousa I’layyan Brijiyyieh, in an attempt to expand the adjacent Illegal Israeli settlement of Efrat [3].

• May 30, 2011: A herd of Israeli settlers from the Illegal Israeli settlement of Yetzhar [4] southwest of Nablus Governorateattacked and set fire in seven dunums of Palestinian-owned lands south of Madama village southwest of the city of Nablus.

•  June 1, 2011: The Israeli settlers of the Illegal Israeli settlement of Beit ‘Ein attacked the Palestinian lands in Safa village north of Hebron city and  uprooted 15 vine trees owned by the local resident Mohammad Isma’eel ‘Adi and his brother Ghazi.

• June 2, 2011: Herds of Israeli settlers from the Illegal Israeli settlement of Yetzhar set fire in five dunums of lands in Madama village southwest of the city of Nablus owned by the local resident Hasan Mohammad Ziyade.

•  June 2, 2011: Herds of Israeli settlers from the Illegal Israeli settlements of Gush Etzion settlement bloc attacked 14 dunums of lands in Khirbet E‘layya owned by the resident Maher Mohamad Seib’a and uprooted 248 Olive trees.

• June 2, 2011: The Israeli settlers set the fire in dozens of dunums of the Palestinian lands in Far’ata village in Qalqilya and Tal village in Nablus, where the Israeli Army Forces prevented the Palestinian Civil Defense from reaching the lands to extinguish the fire.

• June 4, 2011:  Israeli settlers from Beit ‘Ein Illegal settlement north of the city of Hebron attacked the Palestinian lands in Wadi Al-Beida village and uprooted 40 vine trees.

• June 7, 2011: The Israeli settlers set the fire in the Palestinian lands in Deir Al Hatab east of Nablus city which causes the burn of 200 olive trees and 50 almond trees.

• June 8, 2011: Herds of Israeli settlers from Kiryat Arba’[5] Illegal settlement in the middle of Hebron, set the fire in 20 dunums of lands cultivated with fruits in Bani N’eim village east of Hebron Governorate.

• June 8, 2011: the Israeli settlers of the Illegal Israeli settlement of Karmi Tzur [6] set the fire in 3 dunums of lands planted with wheat  adjacent to the settlement and owned by the resident ‘Ali ‘Aayyad ‘Awad.

• June 8, 2011: Israeli settlers from the Illegal Israeli settlement of Hallameash[7]  destroyed 3 dunums of lands cultivated with lentil by spraying them with Incendiary materials in Deir Nitham village northwest Ramallah Governorate owned by the local resident Mr. Fadel Abdel Hamid Al-Tamimi.

• Uprooting of Olive trees violates the trade policies of the Paris protocols of 1954 which calls for ‘free access for Palestinian goods to the Israeli market and vice versa.’ The curfews and the uprooting are a clear violation of this clear security.

•  Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 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 other public authorities or social or cooperative organizations is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

•  Also Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention indicated 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 Art. 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 also provides: In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy’s property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.

• Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Article 17 reads: ‘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.

Prepared by
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
ARIJ