67 Palestinian houses demolished in half year in the occupied city of Jerusalem

( Photo 1: Sharafat- Jerusalem: The house of Mr. Abdul Kareem Masha'l under destruction)

(Photo courtesy of Al- Quds newspaper)

As a continuation of the policy of displacement and replacement, the Israel occupation authorities (IOA) have maintained the pace of demolishing Palestinian houses in occupied Jerusalem for several reasons, the most prominent of which is 'security' or the ' lack of licensing'. By so doing, the IOA have violated article 53 of fourth Geneva convention which states that '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'.

During the first half of 2007, the total of 67 housing units were demolished in Jerusalem under the pretext of un-licensing. This figure is double the one for the same period of last year -33 houses – and equals the one for whole year of 2006 – 68 houses:

Table 1:  House demolition comparison by month and year

 Source: Field work by LRC

Source: Field work by LRC

In addition, from 1967 until the end of 1996, the Israeli occupation authorities demolished at least 2500 house in Jerusalem, and from the beginning of 1997 until the end of last June, 863 house were demolished, See table 3.

Table 3: Demolition, closure and seizure of Palestinianhouses and other structures
by year under the pretext of un-licensing and security Jerusalemgovernorat

Source: LRC data base

Victims talk:

– Bir Al-Wa'er, Esaweyyah: On 8/5/2007, Israeli municipality staff demolished at 08:30 a.m. two apartments with a total surface area of 350 m2 owned by Dawod Ali Hussein Naser, 54 year old, without prior notice. In an interview with LRC field worker, Mr. Naser stated: 'I constructed those apartments back in 2005, one to accommodate my own family (11 members including 8 children), and the other to dwell my son who was about to get married. My dream to see my son in his own house was faded, even before it starts.

On August 20th 2005, I received a demolition notice from the municipality, the house was ready then, so I retained the advocate Hussein Ghanayyem in order to follow up my case, and I paid him 6000$. When my family settled at the house, the municipality and police came to photograph it. The case was in court for almost two years until the house was knocked down on May 8th, 2007.

During the demolition process a huge Israeli army force border guard police were in presence. They closed the whole area and bulldozers started to run over. Israeli soldiers intently provoked residents who objected the demolition.  Most of my family members were brutally treated by soldiers as followed:

1.     Ali, 24 years old, hit with batons all over his body;

2.     Muhammad, 20 years old, strangled and beaten with guns;

3.     Ahmad, 16 years old, hit with batons and fists.

4.     Salam, 14 years old, hit with fists.

5.     My wife Maha, 40 years old, beaten when tried to protect her children, and was hospitalized at Hadasah medical center.

My 4 sons were also arrested and their detention orders extended. Our house was destroyed, we were assaulted, and the most distressing thing is that Israelis do not want us to say one single word'.

– Wadi Al-Joz: On 8/5/2007 Israeli bulldozers demolished at 06:00 a.m. a residential building belonging to Hani Hasan Totah in Wadi Al-Joz for not having a license.

Totah's wife told LRC's field worker: 'we built our house in 1990, but the municipality destroyed it on 22/11/2005. Our need for a house was un avoidable despite the impossibility of getting a construction license from the Israeli occupation. Therefore, we decided to rebuild it without getting a license, but the Israelis arrived in November 2006 while construction was in process, and ordered us to stop, but we went on. One year later, the family moved to settle the house, however, when the municipality insisted on demolishing it, we donated the house to An Nujom ( Stars) Association for the handicapped, hoping that, by so doing, it will leave Israelis away. Nevertheless, the Israeli occupation soldiers  attacked the quarter in the early morning, evacuated the handicapped, and a bulldozer made the whole building disappear, and soldiers hit my husband's nephew on the face and arrested him'.

(Photo 2: Wadi Al Juz, Jerusalem: the an Nujum association for the handicapped in ruins )

According to LRC's reliable sources and reports, the municipality of occupied Jerusalem is planning to construct a big shopping mall and a hotel of a six storey hotel in that particular.

– Za'alokah mountain, Sur Baher:

On 20/5/200 Israeli municipality tore down a building belonging to Khalaf Salim Bakheit, 78 years old. This building was barely enough for him and his two sons, Mohammad and Salim, who were about to get married and live in their father's  building.

(Photo 3: Sur Baher, Jerusalem: the ruins of the house of Ayman Hammad)

Bakheitsaid to LRC field worker: 'I have submitted an application for building license, but the municipality instantly refused. I wanted to see my sons getting married, and we were 8 members in two rooms, so I decided to start building no matter what ever it takes. I received a demolition notice the day the house ceiling was completed. Then, I went to the municipal court which delayed the demolition several times until it got destroyed on 20/5/2007 at 08:30 a.m.'.

– Khdeir quarter, Old city: On 28/5/2007 The Israeli municipality of occupied Jerusalem  destroyed a house belonging to Mrs. Zaynab Ibraheem Kabajeh without prior notice. Kabajeh was surprised with a police force and municipality personnel breaking into her house while everybody still asleep, and ordered them to leave at once. They gave them only 3 minutes to evacuate furniture, and started execution using a large hammer. The house was of 2 rooms and dwelled by Mrs. Kabajeh, a husband, and 10 children. She carried out restoration works after the ceiling came down because of rain. That was an Israelis pretext -building a wall between kitchen and bathroom- as Kabajeh explained: 'I did not violate municipality's rules. All what I have done was installing a metal ceiling for a room, for everyone knows that Israelis ban concrete ones inside Jerusalem's old city'.

– Beit Safafa: On 27/5/2005 Israeli troops broke into Beit Safafa and demolished Mr. Husan Ali Salman's house for not being licensed. Police personnel attacked owner and his son, in addition to owner's nephew Abdullah, 15, who was protesting. The destroyed house, which is 100 m2 is located near the Israeli Gilo quarter which was totally built inside the land of the occupied West Bank land.

– Sharafat: On 28/5/2007 Israeli occupation forces invaded Sharafat, and bulldozers started demolishing Mr. Abdul Kareem Masha'l's house for not having a license. A large part of the house was previously destroyed by a municipal court order.

Al-Shayyah – Jabal Mukabber: on 11/6/2007 Israeli police forces and border guards on horsebacks surrounded Al-Shayyah neighborhood in Jabal Mukabber suburb of Jerusalem as the Jerusalem municipality workers, accompanied by police dogs, demolished the house of Mr. Ali Muhammad Mousa Juma'a after taking the furniture out. The house is 100 sq meter, and consists of one flat inhabited by 10 individuals, including 8 children. The reason given was that the house is too close to path of the apartheid wall, and for being unlicensed. Mr. Jum'a application for a license was never processed.

(Photo 4: Jable Al Mukaber, Jerusalem: the ruins of the house of Ali Juma'a)

Al-Sawahreh Sharqiyeh

On 11/6/2007 the Israeli municipality of occupied Jerusalem demolished the house of Mr. Jamil Ahmed Jamil Shkirat for the second time in three years. The 60 sq meter house, built near the ruins of the first destroyed house, had two rooms with accessories, and housed the family of two adults and 4 children for a year and a half. The Israeli central court had issued an order to vacate the house six months ago, and indeed Mr. Shkirat vacated the building, but was surprised that his house was demolished without prior warning. Shkirat holds a West Bank identity card and now resides outside the separation wall.

Mount of Olives

Jerusalem Municipality bulldozers demolished a newly established residential  building consisting of three apartments located on the Mount of Olives overlooking Al-Aqsa Mosque. 27 people were scheduled to move into the building.

Table 4: House demolition in Jerusalem during the first half of 2007 by location and number
 

Source: field work by LRC

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC