The Israeli Occupation Authorities escalated its targeting against the Palestinian residents and their  properties in the occupied eastern part of the city of Jerusalem and mainly by demolishing their houses.

As a matter of fact, the Israeli aggravating systematic measures taken by the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem and the Israeli Ministry of Interior reached unprecedented levels where from the beginning of the year 2014 until November 15, 2014 , 129 Palestinian houses and structures were targeted by an administrative demolition orders while 100 houses and structures have been demolished in the same period. See Map 1 : The Israelisation of East Jerusalem

Below are the chronology for targeting of the Palestinian properties in East Jerusalem Sine October 1- November 15, 2014:-

October 18, 2014 : The Israeli Occupation Authorities forced Ameen Abd al Haq to demolish his own house in As-Sweeh neighborhood in Ras Al-‘Amoud town in Jerusalem city. 

October 19, 2014: The Israeli Occupation Authorities forced resident Samir Meswada to demolish his 90 square meters house in Ras Al-Amoud neighborhood in Jerusalem city. The targeted house is inhabited by 8 Palestinians.

October 21, 2014: Israeli Occupation bulldozers demolished a part of a Palestinian house in Beit Hanina town in Jerusalem city, and occupied a part of land to be used for an Israeli project. The targeted house is owned by Gharabli family.

October 21, 2014 :Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) demolished three houses (80, 70 and 55 square meters) and three animal barracks (200 square meters) in Maghayer Al-Jarrah area in At-Tur town, south of Jerusalem city. The targeted houses are owned by Khader Az-Zar’I and his mother Huda and his two brothers As’ad and Sihda.

October 28, 2014: staff from the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem city demolished a house owned by Ash-Sharef family at Salah Ad-Din Street in Jerusalem city.

October 29, 2014: Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) demolished a 20 square meters residential room, an under construction store, 12 square meters animal barracks and retaining wall in Al-Abbasiya neighborhood in Silwan town in Jerusalem city. The targeted structures are owned by Khalid Az-Zeer. The IOA also, handed out an order to demolish 6 meters residential cave inhabited by 7 family members. 

October 30, 2014: Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) demolished a 200 square meters house in Wadi Al-Jouz neighborhood in Jerusalem city and razed a number of trees surrounded the house. The targeted house is owned by At-Tarwa family.

October 30, 2014: Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) demolished two stores, a garage, two rooms, a 20 square meters barracks and 20 meters retaining wall in Ash-Sheikh Jarrah  neighborhood in Jerusalem city. The targeted structures are owned by Abu Jibnah and Abu Khater families.

November 4, 2014: Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) demolished an animal shed in Ein Al-Louza neighborhood in Silwan town in Jerusalem city. The targeted shed is owned by Khalid Az-Zair.

November 4, 2014: Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) demolished two Palestinian building each building consist of 2 floors (4 apartments) in Wadi Yasoul neighborhood in Silwan town in Jerusalem city. The targeted buildings are owed by: Issam Abu Sobeh and Khalil Abu Rajab.

November 4, 2014: Israeli Occupation Authorities forced Mohammad Ja’abees to demolish two animal sheds in Jabal Al-Mukkabir town, south of Jerusalem city.

November 5, 2014: Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) demolished a 650 square meters under construction house and a parking in At-Tur town in Jerusalem city. The targeted house is owned by Abu Sh’uaib Al-Hadrah.

November 7, 2014: Israeli settlers hurled stones at Palestinian houses and cars in Jabal Al-Mukkaber town, south of Jerusalem city. See chart 1 below:-

Chart 1: the Israeli targeting of the Palestinian houses & structures in E. Jerusalem

 

Legal & International Status

The Israeli demolishing of the Palestinian houses in all parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory including the eastern part of the city of Jerusalem contradicts with the International law rules and constitute a grave breach for human rights conventions:-

• Articles 53 & 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.
• 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;

·        Article XXXI, Oslo II, 1995 provides: Neither side shall take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

• Article XXXI of the 1995 Oslo agreement Israel is forbidden from building or planning to any project or settlements or any colonial expansion or any plan that lead to change the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The article provides “Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations”.
• 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.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965)

• Article 5 provides that: 'States' Parties undertake to prohibit and eliminate racial discrimination in all of its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, color, or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of the following rights: … (e) in particular … (iii) the right to housing'.
• Article 3 states that 'everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person'.

• Article 13 states also that: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.'

• Article 25 states that: Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

 

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem