• Violation: Demolishing Residences and Agricultural Facilities.
• Date: December 29^th 2020.
• Location: Yatta town / Hebron governorate.
• Perpetrators: The Israeli Civil Administration.
• Victims: Citizens from Yatta town.

Description:

December 29^th 2020, the Israeli Occupation authorities demolished houses and agricultural facilities on the pretext of building without a license in Al-Khalidiya , Wadi Jhaish , Al-Buwaib in Yatta south Hebron.

• Al-Khalidiya area: About 8:00 am , a massive army force accompanied by the so called building and Organization officer and two excavators carried out the demolition of a house belong to Khaleel Raba’e since 2018. 

Photo 1: Khaleel Raba’e’s house before the demolition

At the beginning, the occupation forces surrounded the targeted house, and the accompanying workers emptied the properties. the owner’s family and neighbors tried to stop the demolition, so the occupation called a supporting force, they came by and started throwing tear gas, which resulted in several suffocations , then they carried out the demolition.

The Occupation demolished a building of bricks and strengthened cement with a total area of 280 m², the owner built the house in 2018 , and the building composes of two parts , one of them (150 m²) belongs to his family (15 persons , 9 of them are children) , the other part is (130 m²) that was used as a barn , and contains 120 heads of sheep.

In January 13^th 2020, the occupation authorities issued a halt of work notice for the house numbered (00084) on the pretext of building without a license, the owner prepared a legal file and hired a lawyer from a human rights organization to file an objection.

In June 8^th 2020, the occupation authorities issued a halt of work and demolition notice for the building within 30 days , after refusing the license.

Notice number 00084: Halt of work notice for Ar-Raba’e home

Demolition notice 60950 : Which targets Ar-Raba’e home

 

• Khirbet Wadi Jhaish:

A massive army force accompanied by a vehicle from the building and organization department in the Civil Administration raided the area with a JCB excavator and workers from an Israeli company got to a house belongs to Hisham An-Nawaja’a , and carried out the demolition.

The targeted structure is built of steel sheets , set up on a baton floor with a total area of 50 m² , and makes a home for a family of 8 , 6 of them are children.

Photo 2-3 : The ruins of Hisham An-Nawaja’a house

The Occupation for the third time in a raw demolishes An-Nawaja’a’s properties, in addition to the house the occupation forces demolished a barn in June 19^th 2016, and once again in August 6^th 2020. The third time the targeted structure was a house built of bricks and steal sheets, a human rights organization gave it to them in 2016, he finally built another house in 2020, and the occupation demolished it.

The targeted structure has a total area of 50 m² , built of steel sheets and set up on a Baton floor , in addition to destroying an outdoor bathroom with a total area of 2 m².

• Al-Buwaib village:

About 1:00 pm , a massive army force accompanied by the civil administration and a truck raided the village and got to a structure belongs to Mahmoud Da’ajneh used for cattle breeding and a plastic sheets tents, the Occupation demolished the structures and confiscated them.

The tent has a total area of 70 m² , used as a store for feeds , it was demolished and confiscated without any preceding notices.

Legal Feedback:

Demolishing Palestinian houses is a violation of international law:

Article 147 of Geneva fourth convention  : extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. ( it is considered a serious violation of the convention)

Article 53 of Geneva fourth convention that forbids destroying properties : 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 co-operative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

Article 33 of Geneva fourth convention: No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.

Article 32 of Hague convention 1907 part g: To destroy or seize the enemy’s property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.

Article 17 of Universal declaration of human rights 10 –Dec- 1948:  No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.