Demolishing a Residence in at-Tabib

Violation: demolishing a ready-to-use residence.

Date: May 2, 2012.

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army.

Vivtims: Zidan Tabib family.

 

On May 2, 2012, an Israeli force accompanied by a dozer broke into the small village and demolished Zidan Tabib’s 100-m2 residence. The residence was supposed to be inhabited by a 5-member-family, including three children, soon. It is worthy to mention that the owner received a demolition order less than 6 months earlier on the pretext of unlicensed construction. Despite his desperate attempts to acquire a permit, his application had always been rejected.

 

  

 

 

 

‘Izbat at Tabib is located 7 km to the east of Qalqiliya; its total area is 728 dunums inhabited by around 250 people. The village consists of 49 houses built out of brick or metal slabs. The Israelis do not recognize the village’s right to exist and threatens to demolish all the structures built after 1967 (39 houses). They also aspire to deport all the villagers to the nearby ‘Azzoun. ‘Izbat at Tabib was established in the 1920’s, long before the establishment of the ‘State of Israel’. Nevertheless, the village has been treated like an outcast all these years and has been deprived from the basic services (water and electricity supply).

 

Despite the lack of services and proper development the locals’ remained loyal to their village and kept expanding. In the 1980’s, the Israelis started issuing demolition orders against the village houses. The villagers tried in vain to acquire construction permits. In the early 1990’s, the Israelis rejected an application to have a proper organizational plan to the village claiming that the application lacks necessary documents.

 

It must be noted that the part of the segregation wall surrounding the village devoured more than 273 dunums of the village lands; additionally, the by-pass road ’55’ devoured more than 12 dunums in addition to 70 meters ‘buffer zone’ which is inaccessible.

 

Worst of all, on January 3, 2007, the Israeli Occupation Authorities rejected the Organizational plan of the village. The Israeli Supreme Court claimed that the village houses are nothing but ‘agricultural structures’ that were illegally built. In addition, the village is only 2 km away from ‘Azzoun which is capable of incubating a 76% increase in its population. Such a claim is more dangerous coming from a judicial body showing that the Israeli Authorities of any kind are conspiring against helpless Palestinian farmers.