Violation: demolishing a house, two shacks, and Al Salam and Al Muhajerin roads.
Location: Al ‘Aqaba, eastern Tubas.
Date: September 15, 2011.
Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army.
Victims: Al ‘Aqaba families.
Details:
The Israeli Occupation has set al ‘Aqaba as a target for judization for a long time by issuing demolition and stop-work orders and actually demolishing structures. On September 15, 2011, the Israeli Occupation Army conducted demolitions against the following:
Destroying al Salam and al Muhajerin roads:
5 months after the complete destruction of the roads on the hands of Israeli soldiers; the Israeli re-demolished the roads on the pretext of no permit.
Picture 1: Al Salam road
Picture 2: Al Muhajerin road
It must be noted that the locals managed to fundraise enough money to rebuild the roads and the retaining walls that were destroyed; however, the Israelis waited till the end of all construction works before destroying the roads and the walls once more. It is apparent that the Israelis are sending a message to the people; telling them that eviction is inevitable.
It must be noted that the Village Council managed to persuade the Israeli Supreme Court to issue a ‘preventive order’ to ensure the safety of the two roads; however, the Israeli colonization policy seems to be above any laws or orders.
Table 1: Information on the demolished roads:
|
Road
|
Location
|
Established
|
Length (m)
|
First demolition
|
damage
|
|
Al Salam
|
East
|
2009
|
1400
|
April, 2011
|
Destroying the asphalt cover and 300-m-long retaining walls
|
|
Al Muhajerin
|
North west
|
Early 2011
|
1000
|
April, 2011
|
Destroying the asphalt cover and 500-m-long retaining walls
|
The demolition of the roads has a drastic effect on the people’s daily lives; it disconnects their lands and renders parts of it unreachable.
Demolishing a house and two shacks:
Less than a year passed over the construction of a 100-m2-house which was supposed to host Khaled Sbaih’s 7-member-family.
He received a stop-work order in mid June, 2011 before the demolition took place on September 15, 2011.
With eyes full of tears, Khaled stated to an LRC observer: ‘thirty years go, I lost a brother during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982; in 2000, I lost another brother due to mine planted all around the Jordan Valley area. Now, I am facing another catastrophe on the hands of the same ruthless butcher; I have lost my house which cost me a fortune to build in an area where the Palestinian existence is under constant threat. Nevertheless, we are determined to remain here despite all the perils. At the beginning of 2010, I built a humble house for my family; soon afterwards, the Israeli Occupation Authorities issued a stop-work order against the houses.I sought help in almost every humanitarian agency in the West Bank as well as spending huge amounts of money to issue all the needed documents.The Israelis kept delaying the case using various justifications until I saw the dozer approaching my house in the early morning hours on September the 15th. They did not even give the chance to clear the contents of the house which were leveled as well’.
Picture 3-4: Khaled’s daughter rummaging around for her books
Picture 5-6: the ruins of the house
Sbaih wondered about the security threats that his house imposes on the ‘state of Israel’ while, at the same time, he showed dedication towards rebuilding the house, insisting that the locals will is stronger than the Israelis dozers and tanks.
On the other hand, the Israeli Occupation Force that demolished Khaled’s house destroyed two agricultural shacks belonging to Basem Sbeih and Abdul Nasser Sbaih on the same lame pretext of no permit.
Picture 7: Basem’s shack rubble
Picture 8-9: the ruins of Abdul Nasser’s rubble
Table 2: victims of the Israeli aggression:
|
Victim
|
Area (m2)
|
Family members
|
Children
|
Cattle
|
Structure
|
remarks
|
|
Khaled Sbeih
|
100
|
3
|
0
|
20
|
House, Residential, and one part is used as barn
|
A stop-work order was issued previously
|
|
Basem Sbeih
|
60
|
7
|
5
|
12
|
shack, Residential, and one part is used as barn
|
A stop-work order was issued previously
|
|
Abdul Nasser Sbeih
|
60
|
7
|
5
|
17
|
shack
|
Demolished and rebuilt five months earlier
|
|
|
220
|
17
|
10
|
49
|
|
|
It must be pointed that more than 45 similar notifications has been issued against structures in the village; these structures include the mosque, kindergarten, and many others. 2 shacks were destroyed in 2003, 7 houses, the electricity network, and the main water tank were demolished in 2009.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
