- Violation: demolition of a house
- Location: Qabatiya town- Jenin governorate
- Date: July 18, 2016
- Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation Forces
- Victims: family of prisoner Bilal Abu Zaid
Details:
A massive force from the Israeli occupation army accompanied by a military dozer raided on July 18, 2016 the Jenin town of Qabatiya , imposed a curfew on the area and encircled the house of prisoner Bilal Abu Zaid (21) in preparation to demolish it. The affected citizen is accused of taking part in a Jerusalem killing attack on February 2016. Noteworthy, the attack is claimed to be carried out by three Palestinian youth, who were killed later by the occupation.
The force banned anyone from approaching the house at time troops were demolishing the outer walls of the house with manual tools. Shortly after, the dozer embarked demolishing the house, taking into consideration that it is founded above commercial stores, which were partially damaged as a result. Noteworthy, the second floor is composed of two apartments (155m2 each). First apartment belongs to citizen Majid Abu Zaid, where the second one is home for Bilal's ten member family including one child.
Photos 1-7: the rubbles of the targeted house
Israeli court rejects the families' plea to stop demolition
Noteworthy, the occupation authorities served on February 28, 2016 a demolition order on the martyr's house. On March 2016, an objection to the order was submitted to the military prosecutor. The rejection was turned down and the affected families filed a plea to Israel Supreme Court on June 2016 that was eventually rejected and the court ruled the demolition of the houses on June 03 with a three day deadline to evacuate. It should be marked that Israeli Occupation Forces demolished the residences of the three martyrs on April 2016, rendering their families homeless.
Since Al-Aqsa uprising of 2015 until the date of this report, Israeli Occupation Forces demolished 40 residence on "Security " claim, of which 19 residences were demolished in 2015 where the other 21 were brought down in 2016, rendering 210 persons including 72 children homeless. Closing and detonating house also caused 49residence to get partially damaged and uninhabitable.
The graph illustrates the number of demolished structures from October 2015 until July 2016 by governorate
Despite the fact that home demolition is illegal, Israel Supreme Court always rules in favor of such demolition. This reflects that the occupation prosecution is an implementation tool in the hands of the occupation.
It should be marked that the order was issued in reference to the British Emergency Law for the year 1945, taking into consideration that this law was abolished. “Confiscation and demolition” according to article 119 of the law indicates that it is not allowed to re-construct in the demolition location.
The Israeli occupation authorities made sure to extend the validity of the British law to use it against Palestinians.
Land Research Center sees Israeli practices and measures as a collective punishment against the families of martyrs and prisoners. The occupation seeks to traumatize and humiliate Palestinian families through such practices.
The Israeli government claims such orders to be deterrent for Palestinians who carry out stabbing attacks. Such attacks come in response for colonists’ attacks on Palestinians, the latest of which was represented in torching a family alive, not mentioning running over kids and women, attacks on trees (torching , cutting down, robbing) and lands confiscation.
Land Research Center LRC sees that demolitions contradict with all of the International conventions and Humanitarian laws including:
- Article 17 of the (1948) Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating: “Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”
- Section ‹G› of article 23 of the (1907) The Hague Conventions asserting: “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 53 of the Geneva Fourth Convention (1948) declaring: “Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.”
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
