Teqou Residents feels the Cold Hard Iron of the Israeli Bulldozers

Some 12 Km southeast of Bethlehem city, lays Teqou village (population; 6,669 (PCBS-2005), became a target of the Israeli colonization activities within the first decade of the Israeli occupation of the West bank territory back in 1967. Since then, three Israeli settlements were built on lands confiscated from Teqou’s residents; these settlements are “Teqou settlement” established in 1977, “Nikodim settlement” established in 1982 and “Kfar Eldad settlement” established in 1999. The three settlements set on 1685 Dunums of Teqou’s land, which blocked the development of the village’s built-up area, tightened the grip on the village and hindered the villagers from following-up their life naturally. 

On September 12, 2006, Teqou village became a destination of the Israeli bulldozers when several Palestinians’ livelihood bases where targeted and destroyed. The Israeli Civil Administration notified the Palestinian owners of the targeted structures back in February of this year with three Israeli military orders holding numbers: (11321) + (1319) + (113); to demolish three sheds in the village under the pretext of lacking building permits. The demolition orders for these sheds did not go into effect until September 12, 2006, that is when the Israeli bulldozers stormed the village, covered by the Israeli Defense Forces and destroyed the three sheds. See Photos below

 
Before                                                                                       After

  (Refer to a previously written case study 'Teqou Municipality received three
new demolition orders-February 2006')                 

It’s worth mentioning that Teqou municipality also received in May, 2006, four new military orders issued by the Israeli Civil Administration, notifying Palestinian owners of four houses of the decision to demolish their homes. The owners resorted to the Israeli Supreme Court of Justice but there petitions were repudiated, which means that their homes maybe demolished at any time. (For more clarification see the Table below. Refer to previously written case study” Teqou village between the Civil Administration Hammer and the Settlement Anvil- May 2006

The following pictures are of the targeted houses in Teqou village 

House of Ateyya Abed Subeh (1)

House of Ateyya Abed Subeh (2)

House of Ali Ahmad Hussein Suleiman

House of Habes Ibrahim Suleiman

Finally, Israel insists on violating the International law and the International treaties and conventions, destroying residential houses, confiscating properties and lands to establish illegal settlements and facilitate their existence.   

Destroying the sheds by the Israeli forces in Teqou village on 12/9/2006, had nothing to do with the Israeli Army’s security or neccisatties but is easily identified as an explicit breach of international law, which identify the Israeli actions as a “War Crime” and 'Organized State Terrorism”, as stated in Articles 147 and 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Article of 1949, which reads:

Article 147: 'extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly' is a grave breach of the Convention”.

Article 53: “Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons or to the State, or to the public authorities, or to social or corporative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations”

References

• Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, (n.d.). Projected mid -year population for Bethlehem governorate by locality 2004- 2006. Retrieved Sep. 14, 2006, from Demographic statistics Web site: http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/populati/pop10.aspx

Prepared by
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
ARIJ