Violation: Threatening to demolish a shack used as a residence
Location: Khirbet Umm al-Khair, Yatta/ Hebron governorate
Date: 05/07/2014
Perpetrators: The Israeli occupation army
Victims: Aida al-Hathalin and her daughter
Details:
The Israeli occupation army has prohibited citizens of Khirbet Umm al-Khair from setting up a shack made with metal slabs and meant to be a shelter to an elderly woman from al-Hathalin family, and threatened to knock it down.
The whole story dates back to the last snowstorm that hit Palestine at the end of 2013 and destroyed many residences in the process. Aida al-Hathalin (80) and one of her daughters were among the victims as they lost their residence to the storm. One of the organizations specialized in helping out such victims decided to give away a shack for the elderly woman instead of the one that had got destroyed.
Picture 1: Aida al-Hathalin, the owner of the shed
At the end of June 2014, the organization presented al-Hathalin with metal slabs and iron poles and asked citizens to set the shack up for her. During the installment, the citizens were spotted by colonists from nearby Karmiel. The latter called the Israeli army that rushed to the place and started yelling at the people to force a halt, claiming that it is illegal and prohibited to set up any structure in the Khirbet. Citizens had to stop as a result.
After a week of the incident and on Saturday 05/07/2014, people resumed working and while they were at the last stage of setting up the shack, a group of Israeli soldiers coming from Karmiel colony broke into the area and threatened of demolishing the shack and that they would inform the Israeli Civil Administration about what they called a 'violation of law'. The Civil Administration would confiscate the shack, according to the soldiers, though people explained the shack would be a shelter to an elderly woman. The area of the shack is 20 m2 in area. Aida and people are afraid the Civil Administration would soon tear it down.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
