Violation: Destroying two houses

Date:  30/06/2014

Location: Ad-Dahdah, Hebron city

Perpetrators: The Israeli occupation army

Victims: Sa'di al-Qawasmi and Omar Abu Eisha along with their families

Preface:

Since the first day Israel declared the abduction of three settlers (13/06/2014), it has unleashed a ferocious attack on the people of the West Bank in general, and Hebron in specific, sanctioning collective punishment on the Palestinian population. Residents of Hebron district have under severe travel restrictions since as the Israeli forces shut off all entrances of the city with earth mounds and cement blocs with Israeli soldiers deployed all over them. The Israeli occupation army break into houses on a daily basis where they 'search'; destroying content and furniture and frightening children and women in the process.

On Monday, June 30, the Israeli occupation authorities claimed finding the bodies of the three missing Israelis in Arnaba- Halhul,  north of Hebron.  On the spot, authorities decided to destroy the family houses of the two suspects: Marwan Qawasmi, 29, and Amer  Abu Eisha, 32. At night, the Israeli occupation blew up the houses of Sa'di al-Qawasmi and Omar Abu Eisha under the pretext that their sons (Bilal and Amer) are indicted of the abduction and murder though the two defendants who have not been tried and are not detained by the Israeli authorities yet. It does not even make sense to punish 'suspects' without having any evidence!!! Not only that, inflicting harm on the family members of the two, though they have not done any offence,  reflects Israel's adoption of an official policy of harming the innocent.

Blowing up part of al-Qawasmi's residence:

While preparing to break their fast after a long day of Ramadan, a large force of the Israeli army broke into the house in ad-Dahdah, near the Traffic Department in Hebron, after detaining all men of the family and putting women and children in one room in order to freely search the house.

At 11 p.m., the Israeli soldiers let all inhabitants out and put them in one room of their neighbor's, Akram an-Natshe's house. After an hour of interrogating them, loud explosion shattered the sky.

The soldiers, during searching, destroyed all contents of the house. And then without any prior warning, they blew up the apartment of Bilal al-Qawasmi ,where five individuals including three children live. The apartment was set on fire and since the Israeli forces denied ambulances and fire trucks access to the home, the neighbors had to extinguish it.

The building belongs to Sa'di al-Qawasmi and his four married sons; 16 people, including 6 children and 4 women. The building consists of three stories with an area totaling 500 m2 while the targeted apartment is 110 m2.

After blowing up the house, soldiers left the area and the family returned only to be agonized at the damage inflicted and havoc wreaked in the place. They are not sure if the building is inhabitable now as there are cracks and damage all over the place and not only in the one apartment.

Scenes of the damage inflicted on al-Qwasmi's:

      

 

 

 

 

 

Blowing up part of Abu Eisha's house:

While an Israeli occupation force was besieging al-Qawasmi's house, another was attacking Abu Eisha's in the same area. Soldiers forced people out of the house while they went in to 'search'. They ransacked, broke items and destroyed all contents of the building that consists of two stories and four apartments. At 1 a.m. of Tuesday, July 01, the Israeli occupation blew up Amer's apartment, home for five people, including 3 children. The explosion was unexpected and none had the chance to take the furniture out. 

Another apartment, beside Amer's, caught fire. That harmed its adjoining glassy wall, breaking it into pieces. The Israeli forces followed the same policy with Abu Eisha: Banning ambulances and fire trucks access to the home, leaving the neighbors to extinguish the fire.

The two- storey building belongs to Omar Abu Eisha and his three married sons; 15 people, including 6 children and 3 women. The destroyed apartment is 100 m2 in area.

Land Research Center condemns the punitive home demolitions and collective punishment  measures.  The latter is a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention which states that no one living under occupation “may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed.”

But the Israeli occupation, still adopting the British Emergency Law (Defense Regulations) that was abolished at the end of the British Mandate of Palestine, carries on with its attacks without paying any respect for the international law and conventions.

Scense of Abu Eisha's destroyed home:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC