The Israeli Occupation Authorities have committed more crimes against humanity in the Occupied City of Jerusalem during 2010. The Judization process of the Holy City implicitly includes clearing it from its Arab, whether Christians or Muslims, population and replacing it with Jewish presence.
The Israeli policies contradict with the International Law and all the ethical codes in this world. The Israelis escalated their aggressions against the Palestinians and their properties during 2010; the most significant violations were committed against the right to residency.
The Land Research Center documented 129 cases of house demolitions, evictions, and seizures; besides, it documented 252 demolition threats. All of these measures were carried out under the pretext of “no construction permits” knowing that obtaining a construction permit in the Occupied City and its surrounding is almost impossible.
In 2010 only, Israeli colonists managed to capture 18 Palestinian residences while acquiring full support from the Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City. In addition, they attempted to seize 56 other houses. The Old City houses suffered cracks and drastic damages because of the continuous excavations beneath the Old City. Israeli colonists residing in the Old city deliberately pump sewage water towards the Palestinian houses especially in the winter where it mixes with the rain water; damaging the foundation of the houses.
Violations were not limited to the right to residency, they also included various violations; many raids took place throughout the year especially in Silwan; such raids resulted in the kidnapping of family members besides terrorizing children and messing up families belongings.
Since 1967, the Israeli Occupation confiscated Palestinian lands while using various justifications for their acts. More than 1496 dunums of Palestinian lands were confiscated for various purposes including the segregation wall, colonial expansion, or the so-called public good. Furthermore, more than 157 dunums were plowed, soaked with sewage, or set alight. Additionally, 730 trees were torched, 900 were uprooted, and more than 2500 drowned with sewage.
Violations of the right to residency and other violations:
House and structures demolition:
The Land Research Center have documented 1010 house demolition and forceful eviction cases that occurred in the Occupied City since 2000. 31 houses, totaling 2572 m2, were demolished in 2010; these houses sheltered more than 224 Palestinian including 115 children. 5 houses were demolished while being under construction devastating the dreams of 33 people, including 19 children, of better lives. More drastically, 9 Palestinian families were forced to destroy their own houses to avoid paying huge fines in addition to demolition costs. It is considered the worse of all since it leaves the owners with an unhealing scar.
Table 1: Demolished houses in the Occupied City of Jerusalem – 2010:
|
Location
|
Area (m2)
|
Number of residences
|
Rooms
|
Family members
|
Children (under 18)
|
|
At Tur
|
176
|
4
|
9
|
26
|
14
|
|
Silwan
|
400
|
5
|
13
|
38
|
24
|
|
Jaba’
|
210
|
3
|
10
|
25
|
12
|
|
Old City
|
100
|
3
|
4
|
28
|
16
|
|
Al ‘Isawiyya
|
720
|
6
|
27
|
43
|
22
|
|
Beit Hanina
|
70
|
1
|
3
|
6
|
2
|
|
Jabal al Mukabbir
|
338
|
4
|
13
|
34
|
13
|
|
Sur Baher
|
680
|
9
|
23
|
51
|
33
|
|
Al Sheikh Jarrah
|
80
|
1
|
3
|
9
|
6
|
|
Ath Thuri
|
96
|
1
|
3
|
6
|
2
|
|
Kafr ‘Aqab
|
120
|
1
|
3
|
7
|
5
|
|
Al No’man
|
170
|
1
|
6
|
7
|
4
|
|
Total
|
3160
|
39
|
117
|
280
|
153
|
*Source: the Land Research Center – data collected from 1/1/2010 to 31/12/2010
The Israeli had also targeted the commercial and agricultural structures in an attempt to hit the Palestinians economy and forcing them to leave; making it easier to replace them with Jewish settlers. During 2010, more than 90 Palestinian structures of different types were destroyed. The demolished structures totaled 13668 m2; more than 330 Palestinians benefited economically from them. More than 250 goats, 6 horses, and a large number of chicken were left shelter-less thanks to the aggressions. The dead were not even spared; more than 160 Muslim graves were destroyed in Ma’man Allah cemetery.
Table 2: Demolished Structures during 2010:
|
Location
|
Area (m2)
|
Number of structures
|
Number of victims
|
|
Silwan
|
236
|
5
|
22
|
|
Al Sheikh Jarrah
|
60
|
2
|
14
|
|
Beit Hanina
|
1520
|
8
|
14
|
|
Beit Safafa
|
100
|
1
|
7
|
|
Ath Thuri
|
130
|
3
|
21
|
|
Al Ram
|
150
|
4
|
7
|
|
Al ‘Isawiyya
|
362
|
15
|
68
|
|
Hizma
|
10820
|
23
|
146
|
|
At Tur
|
1440
|
28
|
145
|
|
Ma’man Allah
|
0
|
1
|
160 (graves)
|
|
Total
|
14818
|
90
|
444
|
Demolition threats:
The Israeli Occupation Authorities threatened 145 Palestinian residences and 9 other structures of demolition, leaving the dwellers (834 people) living in continuous anxiety. The Israeli Occupation renewed demolition threats issued in 2009, most of them are located in Silwan. In 2009, the Israeli Occupation Authorities issued 538 demolition orders targeting 4042 people; most of these are trying hard to issue the needed permits.
Table 3: Endangered Structures:
|
Location
|
Residences
|
Structures
|
Total endangered structures
|
||
|
Number
|
Family members
|
Number
|
victims
|
||
|
Old City
|
3
|
24
|
5 | 150 | 8 |
|
Al ‘Isawiyya
|
26
|
182
|
1 | 8 | 27 |
|
Silwan
|
156
|
1684
|
*1 | — | 157 |
|
Beit Hanina
|
46
|
276
|
— | — | 46 |
|
Shu’fat
|
8
|
35
|
— | — | 8 |
|
Al ‘Isawiyya
|
2
|
10
|
— | — | 2 |
|
Beit Safafa
|
1
|
7
|
— | — | 1 |
|
Jabal al Mukabbir
|
—
|
—
|
1 | 20 | 1 |
|
Qutna
|
—
|
—
|
2 | — | 2 |
|
Total
|
242
|
2218
|
10 | 178 | 252 |
Demolition threats against parts of mosques
Seizures, Seizure Attempts:
The number of houses captured by Israeli colonists increased during 2010; in 2009, 17 houses were captured, whereas 18 faced the same fate during 2010 including a building containing 9 apartments; one of those is still inhabited by its Palestinian dwellers while the colonists are fiercely trying to take over it.
Furthermore, the Israeli Supreme Court delays the sentence in favor of 17 Palestinian families who managed to provide evidence proving the ownership of their houses.The Israeli Police Procedural Force forged an Israeli Supreme Court Order in order to use to evict 10 Palestinian families. In Kubaniyyat Um Haroon, 28 families face eviction threats; ten of them are facing real threat because they lack lease contracts with the State of Israel. Israeli colonists claim ownership of the Palestinian property.
Table 4: Israeli Violations of the Right to Residency in Jerusalem:
|
Violation
|
Number of residences
|
|
House seizures
|
18 |
|
Seizure attempts
|
56 |
|
Drowning houses
|
20 |
|
Excavations *
|
15 |
|
Raids **
|
47 |
|
Total
|
111 |
* many excavations are happening beneath the old city, the number of damaged houses in unknown; the number here represents houses that were announced unsafe.
** during the raids, children were terrorized or even kidnapped.
Land Confiscation:
Table 5: confiscated lands by area and location:
|
Location
|
Area (dunum)
|
|
Shu’fat and Shu’fat refugee camp
|
255
|
|
Silwan
|
155
|
|
Al ‘Isawiyya
|
660
|
|
Al Sheikh Jarrah
|
18
|
|
Beit Safafa
|
153
|
|
‘Anata
|
110
|
|
Qutna
|
65
|
|
Beit Iksa
|
80
|
|
Total
|
1496
|
Aggressions against agricultural lands:
Table 6: Damaged lands by area, location, and type of damage inflicted:
|
Location
|
Plowed lands
|
Aggressions against lands
|
Torched trees
|
Uprooted trees
|
Trees soaked in sewage
|
|
Beit Hanina
|
30
|
70
|
170
|
—
|
—
|
|
Al Jib
|
—
|
100
|
—
|
—
|
2500
|
|
Qalandiyya
|
4
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
Shu’fat
|
50
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|
At Tur
|
20
|
3
|
—
|
460
|
—
|
|
Al ‘Isawiyya
|
53
|
3
|
—
|
60
|
—
|
|
Mikhmas
|
—
|
13
|
10
|
380
|
—
|
|
Beit Iksa
|
—
|
220
|
550
|
—
|
—
|
|
Total
|
157
|
409
|
730
|
900
|
2500
|
All of these aggressions, and many others, confirms the Israeli Occupation colonial plans; the house demolitions and seizures were never based on any organizational plans or security purposes, their sole purpose is strengthening the Jewish presence in the Occupied City of Jerusalem. Milling by-pass roads and establishing railway networks forms other parts of the Israeli Occupation overall plan.
The Land Research Center – Arab Studies Society – views the Israeli Occupation measures as a clear violation of the basis of the Human Rights principals and the International Humanitarian Law.
Demolition of properties is a violation of article 53 of the Geneva Fourth Convention stating:” 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.”.
Land Confiscation is a violation of Article 17 of the International Declaration of Human Rights stating :”
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”.
These violations are considered crimes against humanity; people responsible for such aggressions must be brought before the International Criminal Court.
LRC calls for the respected states which signed the declaration to stand firm against such aggressions and provide the Palestinian people with the needed protection.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
