Israeli Demolition Order target 5 Structure in Bethlehem Governorate

• Violation: five demolition orders served in Bethlehem.
• Location: Wad Rahal, Al-Walaja, Al-Halqoum, Nahalin / Bethlehem Governorate.
• Date: May 25^th 2021.
• Perpetrators: The Israeli Civil Administration.
• Victims: Ismael Al-Fawaghra, Ibrahim Al-‘Ebeyat , Subhi Shakarna, Sami Abu At-Teen.

Description:

May 25^th 2021, the building inspector at the Israeli Civil Administration issued final demolition orders on many structures in Bethlehem Governorate.

The Notices ordered the immediate stoppage of construction works and returning the plots empty.

The Occupation Authorities issued 5 demolition orders, explained as follows:

Military order (32085): A Demolition order that targets a water harvesting cistern with a storage capacity of 70 m³ , belongs to citizen Jihad Al-Fawaghra from Wad Rahal village. Noteworthy, in February 8^th 2021 the occupation issued a halt of work notice for the house and gave the owner 7 days to demolish what was built. Noteworthy, the cistern’s location is close to the Annexation and Expansion Wall illegally built on Wad Rahal area.

Military Order (32090): A notice that targets an agricultural room built of steel sheets and surrounded by a fence.

Military Order (32086): A notice that targets a concrete structure built on a 500 m² plot, and a shack built of steel sheets and belongs to citizen Ibrahim Al-Ebeyat from Al-Halqoum area, the structure received a halt of work notice in February 8^th 2021.

Military Order (31867): A notice that targets a concrete structure with a total area of 40 m² and belongs to citizen Subhi Shakarna from Nahalin. Noteworthy, the owner received a halt of work notice in August 24^th 2020 , and gave the owner 14 days to demolish the building and returning the plot to its previous status.

Military Order (31868): a final Halt of work notice for an excavated plot (2 dunums) , a basic structure, and a  hole for a cistern project belong to citizen Sami Anu At-Teen from Al-Walaja village , the owner was given 14 days to return the plot to its previous status. Noteworthy, in February 27^th 2020 the occupation served a halt of work notice for the structure.

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

• 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 the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1948 prohibits the destruction of property, as this article states the following: “The occupying power is prohibited from destroying any private, fixed or movable property related to individuals or groups, the state or public authorities, or social or cooperative organizations, unless the war operations inevitably require this destruction.
• Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed.
• Paragraph ‘g’ of Article 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 AD also warned against destroying or seizing the enemy’s property, unless the necessities of war necessarily require such destruction or seizure.

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC