• Violation: demolishing of two houses.
• Violation date: 04/07/2022.
• Location: Umm Qassa – Yatta Town / Hebron Governorate.
• The aggressor: the so-called Israeli Civil Administration.
• Victims: Nayef and Muhammad Al-Atimin.

The details:

On Monday, 04/07/2022, the Israeli occupation authorities demolished two houses in the village of Umm Qassa in the Yatta desert, south of Hebron, under the pretext that they were built without a license.

At about nine in the morning, a force of the occupation army and the so-called Border Police, and workers from an Israeli civil company, accompanied with three heavy machineries (a bulldozer and two diggers), stormed the village, and arrived at the citizens’ houses, then surrounded them and prevented the citizens from approaching the place, therefore, the workers accompanying them expelled the luggage, belongings and possessions from the houses were dumped in the open, then the machineries demolished the following houses:

1- The house of Nayef Ali Salama Al-Atimin has been demloshed: The house was built in 2021. It has an area of ​​(200 m²) and is built of reinforced concrete, and used by a family of (12 people), including (7 children) and (4) females.

 

Photos 1+2+3 : The house demolition process

 

The occupation authorities had targeted the house with a notification entitled “Demolition and removal of a new building”, issued on (30/05/2022), and bearing the number (20751). The occupation authorities ordered the immediate demolition of the house, and threatened to demolish it after 96 hours.

2- The house of Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Atimin: which was inhabited by a family of (16 persons), including (6 children – 4 females). It is also built of reinforced concrete, and its area is 120 m².

Photo 4: The house of the citizen Muhammad Al-Atimin before the demolition

 

Photos 5+6: House demolition process

 

The occupation authorities had targeted this house with a “demolition and removal” notification bearing the number (20753) issued on (30/05/2022), in which they ordered the demolition and removal of the house as well.

The occupation authorities based their issuance of these notifications and their subsequent implementation; To the military order No. (1797) issued in 2018, which targets newly constructed, incomplete or uninhabited buildings according to the interpretations and convictions of the occupation authorities.

Citizens who own homes had submitted petitions to the Supreme Occupation Court, demanding to cancel the demolition and removal order, but these petitions were rejected, as well as all similar petitions based on this type of notifications.

It should be mentioned that Khirbet Umm Qassa is considered one of the population centers in the eastern Yatta desert. It is inhabited by citizens of the Al-Kaabneh family. The population of village is about (300 individuals) who work in raising livestock and cultivating land.

The occupation authorities targeted the village’s school with demolition and removal orders, and it already had demolished a mosque under construction in the place, and confiscated a health clinic building that served the community.

The occupation authorities also classify the village and its surroundings as “firing zone 917”.

Legal Feedback:

The demolition of Palestinian houses and facilities by the occupation authorities comes within its violations of international and humanitarian law, and a violation of a right of Palestinian citizens guaranteed by international law and international treaties, which is the right to adequate housing, within the following articles:

• Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, Article No. 174: “The destruction and appropriation of property is prohibited on a large scale, not justified by urgent military necessity, and carried out unlawfully, illegally and arbitrarily”.
• Article (53) of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1948: 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.
• Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited.

Pillage is prohibited.

Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited.

• Article (23) of the Hague Convention of 1907 AD:
• (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 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – 1948:

– Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

– No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

 

 

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC