Israeli Occupation Forces close a prisoner’s room by oxygen welding in Yatta town

• Violation: sealing of a prisoner's room
• Location: Yatta town- Hebron governorate
• Date: November 10, 2016
• Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation Forces
• Victims:  citizen Ahmad Awad

Details:

Israeli Occupation Forces closed on November 10, 2016 the room of prisoner Younes Awad in the Hebron town of Yatta. The mother of Younes said that a massive force from the Israeli occupation raided Raq'a neighborhood, north of the town, encircled the house and welded a room the prisoner used to use before being taken to prison. Shortly after, the Israeli soldiers pumped cement into the room to guarantee it will not be suitable for any future usage. Noteworthy, more than 30m³ of cement was pumped into the room.

Photos 1+2: view of the closed room

The closed room is reported to be of 25m² in area; it is a small residence that was established in 1981. Israeli Occupation Forces arrested citizen Awad (22) three months ago, claiming he participated in an attack against colonists. A demolition and confiscation orders were served on Awad's house. The family of Awad appealed to Israel Supreme court but the plea was rejected.

Since Al-Aqsa uprising of 2015 until the date of this report, Israeli Occupation Forces demolished 50 residences, of which 19 were demolished in 2015 where the rest were demolished in 2016. Demolitions were carried out as a collective punishment on the families of attackers and prisoners. 257 persons including 93 children were rendered homeless as a result. Closing and detonating houses also caused 57 residence to get partially damaged and uninhabitable.

The graph illustrates the number of demolished residences on the claim of "Security Purposes"
by governorate  since September 2015 until November  11, 2016

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.

Land Research Center LRC sees that demolitions contradict with all of the International conventions and Humanitarian laws including:

1. 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.”
2. 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.”
3. 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.”
4. Section 1, Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966): “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent."

Land Research Center sees the vicious attack on Palestinian buildings  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 or killing 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.

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC