House Demolition warnings against Palestinian Housing Structures in Al ‘Aqaba Village

At 5:00 AM on March 18th, 2008 a number of Israeli occupation patrols accompanied by a jeep of the so-called Israeli “Civil Administration” forced its way into the village of Al Aqaba, located east of the Governorate of Tubas. A soldier submitted a “Stop Work” order to the 47-year old Mr. Salem Mohammad Jaber against his 3-room house which shelters his 7-member family. Additional “Stop Work” orders were submitted against the agricultural road which connects the village with its northeastern lands and against the only kindergarten in the village.

Photo 1: Houses in the Village Threatened with Demolition in Al Aqaba Village – Tubas

The Israeli occupation forces gave the owners of the threatened structures a 16-day period to get the necessary documents to Bet El to be issued the needed permits.

In 2004, occupation forces had also given demolition orders against 13 homes and structures in the village under the pretext of “lack of permits.”  Since then, demolition orders kept on being issued until it reached a total of 35 orders as of March 2008. It is worth noting that in May 2007 the “Civil Administration” have refused the suggested Master Plan of the village and proposed a new one that has removed 80% of the houses of the village from its boundaries. This has implicitly meant that about 25 families were left outside the Master Plan leaving them prone to displacement outside their village to an unknown future.

Photo 2: The village’s Master Plan which leaves 80% of the current houses outside of it

New Demolition Orders in Khirbat Jibara – Tulkarem Governorate:

On March 19th, 2008 Israeli occupation forces issued demolition orders against two houses in Khirbat Jibara in Tulkarem under the pretext of “building without a permit” and due to its close proximity to the Wall. Moreover, the targeted houses are located outside the Master Plan suggested by these force in early 2008. The proposed Master Plan has given the residents a building area of only 75 dunums out of village’s original 394 dunums. Currently, the build-up area is 135 dunums. As such, a large number of the houses will be placed outside the Master Plan which makes them vulnerable to demolition. The Israeli-proposed Master Plan did not take into consideration the acute need for building expansion to accommodate the natural growth of the population of the village. Moreover, it’s been only recently that Israeli occupation forces have given a second demolition order against the only school in the village along with the house of Mr. Diab Abdulla Abu Safiyya. Additional demolition orders were issued on March 19th, 2008 against the house of Mr. Akram Mohammad Taher Awad (24 years old) and the house of his brother, Mr. Fuad Mohammad Taher Awad (35 years old).  The orders were issued against the houses due to “lack of permit” and the fact that their houses are located “outside the Master Plan” of the village as dictated by the Israeli occupation. The owners of the houses were given until the 10th of April 2008 to apply for permits in Bet El.

Photo 3: The Master Plan given by Israeli occupation authorities to the residents
of khirbat Jibara. The Plan aims at grabbing more Palestinian lands.

Al Ras Village Was Not Spared the Wave of Demolition Orders:

In the village of Al Ras (located south Tulkarem Governorate) Mr. Yousef Ali Masoud Bdeirat (58 years old) have received a demolition order against his house under the pretext of its “close proximity to the Wall.” That pretext was used despite the fact the house was built in 1996; i.e. 6 years before the construction of the Wall !!!. The targeted house (in which 8 people currently live) has two stories with an area of 180 m2 per story. Mr. Bdeirat related to LRC’s field researcher his long agony with the occupation: '  I built my two-story house in 1996 on the land that I have inherited from my grandparents. It is located only 900 meters outside the Master Plan. I had only the first floor done due to financial problems. I left completing the second floor for the future on the hopes that I would be financially able to finish it. In 1998 a “Stop Work” order was issued by the Israelis against the house due to lack of building permit in Area C. I was given only a two-week period to bring all the needed documents to Bet El to be issued a permit. We’ve submitted all the needed documents. We were, however, surprised when the court in Bet El refused our permit request. After the establishment of the Wall in 2003 in the vicinity of my house, the house was issued a demolition order against it despite the fact that I have all the needed permit papers. On March 18th, 2008 representatives of the so-called “Civil Administration” came to my house and informed me that I have only 15 days to move out of the house before they demolish it. '

Photo 4: The threatened house of Mr. Yousef Bdeirat due to its proximity to the Racist Wall

Mr. Bdeirat continued: ' After I received the demolition order in 2003, my 31-year old son (married and a father of two) was not granted a permit to reach his house located behind the Wall as it was considered to be an “illegal house” and, as such, there was no need to get it a permit to reach it. The Wall has become a cause of daily problems for us; Occupation forces are very strict with us as only limited quantities and types of merchandise are allowed through. Our relatives are not allowed to visit us without prior permits and coordination with the occupation forces. Even if we needed to move our furniture and luggage out, we need to get a permit for the moving trucks. Moreover, my children walk on daily basis 2 kilometers each way to reach Gate 735 located at the entrance of Khirbat Jibara so we can access Al Ras village. Students are having a hard time at the Gate as they are usually ordered to remove all the content of their bags for “searching purposes.” That is in addition to the impolite and rude words used by the soldiers against the children and women going through the Gate. Our life has become a living hell. We live in a real prison and the world around us does not care.'       

Photo 5: An Israeli patrol near the Racist Wall.

The following table lists the demolition orders against Palestinian structures in the north of the West Bank:

 Prepared by:
The Land Research Center
LRC