New Wave of Demolition Orders Targeted the Palestinian Houses in the city of Qalqilyia
On the 7th of December 2015, the Israeli Occupation Authorities handed out military orders to stop the construction of 11 Palestinian houses located in An-Naqar neighborhood, west of Qalqiliya city.
According to Mr. Mohammad Abu Ash-Sheikh, officer in Qalqiliya governorate, the Israeli Authorities handed out the Palestinians 11 military orders that targeted houses and structures in An-Naqar neighborhood, west of Qalqiliya city, but they founded only 4 hard copies from the 11 military orders :
|
No. of Military orders |
The owners |
Area of the targeted structures |
Type of the targeted structures |
|
Ahmed Rashad |
20 square meters |
An agricultural room |
|
|
Tawfeq Ahmed Ja’idi |
120 square meters |
An under construction house |
|
|
Mu’men Abed Al Karem Salem Ja’idi |
150 square meters |
An under construction house |
|
|
Sameh ‘Anayah |
120 square meters |
A inhabited house |
The analysis done by the Geo-Informatics department in the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ), showed that the four targeted houses in An-Naqar neighborhood, west of Qalqiliya city, located in areas classified as “Area C” (according to Oslo Agreement, 1995) which it under the control of the Israeli Occupation Authorities. Accordingly, the Israeli Authorities claimed that the targeted houses were built without the permits from the Israeli Civil Administration.
It should be noted that the Palestinians living in the area classified as “Area C”, which it about 60% of the total area of the occupied West Bank, suffered from the Israeli procedures against them. The Israeli Occupation Authorities prevented the Palestinians from building their houses or any other structures in that area, and when they try to build the houses, the Israeli Authorities issued the demolition orders after a period of time, before the Israeli bulldozers demolished the houses under the claim of “illegal” houses .
It’s worth to mention that the four targeted houses located in the Israeli “Buffer zone” which it declared by the Israeli Occupation Authorities after the construction of the Israeli segregation wall. The “Buffer zone” it’s the area located along the eastern side of the segregation wall and its about 75-200 meters away from the wall. And according to the Israeli declaration, the construction are not allowed in this area and of course for the Palestinians only . According to the satellite images for the area at least one of the targeted houses located about 100 meters away from the Israeli segregation wall.
Furthermore, the satellite photos also showed that there are a number of Palestinian houses and structures located near the targeted houses in these military orders, which means, that these houses and structures vulnerable to the demolition orders in the future.
Qalqiliya city
Qalqiliya is the only Palestinian city in Qalqiliya Governorate. It is bordered by ‘Arab Abu Farda and ‘Arab Ar Ramadin al Janubi to the east, Habla and Wadi Ar Rasha to the south, the Green Line (lands of 1948) to the west, and ‘Arab Ar Ramadin Ash Shamali and lands of 1948 to the north.
Geopolitical status in Qalqiliya city
According to the Oslo II Interim Agreement signed by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel on 28th September 1995, Qalqiliya was divided into areas “B” and “C”. Approximately 3,619 dunums (35.3. % of the city total area) were classified as area B, where the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has complete control over civil matters but Israel continues to have overriding responsibility for security. Area B constitutes most of the inhabited Palestinian areas including municipalities, villages and some refugee camps. Most of the population of Qalqiliya resides in area B. The rest of the city area, constituting 6,633 dunums (64.7% of the total), is classified as area C, where Israel retains full control over security and administration related to the territory. In area C, Palestinian building and land management is prohibited without the prior consent or authorization of the Israeli Civil Administration. Most of the lands lying within area “C” are agricultural areas and open spaces.
For more information about Qalqiliya city: http://vprofile.arij.org/qalqiliya/pdfs/vprofile/Qalqiliya_vp_en.pdf
To Sum Up
The Israeli Occupation Authorities aimed to use any procedures that will punish the Palestinians living in their own land. Therefore the military orders, constitute a significant example for the Israeli procedures against the Palestinians, which aimed to force them to leave their houses and lands, to interest of the Israeli colonial projects in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
