Israeli occupation forces demolished on February 14, 2012, a housing shelter, two water cisterns as well as animal pens in Khirbet Saddat Al Tha’ala located east of the town of Yatta in Hebron Governorate. Mr. Jameel Awad, one of those affected by the demolitions, indicated the following to the Land Research Center (LRC)’s field researcher: A large force of the Israeli occupation soldiers surrounded the Khirbet in the early morning hours. They were accompanied by 2 bulldozers and Captain Nabeel of the Civil Administration. They gave us only a minute to remove our belongings from the targeted structures. We have tried to get out as many things as possible before the demolition destroyed all of our belongings. One bulldozer destroyed the brux while the other destroyed the water cisterns.
He added: The workers associated with the demolition team used violence to remove the sheep from the animal pens while the bulldozer demolished the brux atop 4 young sheep. 3 other “mother sheep” were injured while being removed by the by the workers.
The demolition process took place over a period of two hours. The owners of the demolished structures indicated that the Israeli occupation forces delivered Stop work Orders to them in the year 2004. They have hired the lawyer, Mrs. Qamar Mashraqi, to be the advocate on their behalf. She managed to get an injunction against the demolition in May 2011 on the premise that the area is in the process of getting a Master Plan. Before the demolition started, the residents showed Captain Nabeel the injunction order, yet he shredded it to piece and ordered the demolition to proceed. It is worth pointing out that the residents received Stop work Orders against 4 structures only, yet the demolition caused destruction to 6.
In the aftermath of the demolition, and due to the urgent and dire need for the water, the Israeli pro-peace organization Ta’ayoush came to the location and helped to remove the rubble from the cisterns that were demolished.
The following tables list the names of the victim of the demolition and other related information:
A) Housing Structures:
|
Name
|
Family Members
|
No. of Children
|
Structure
|
Area
(in m2)
|
Year of Construction
|
Notes
|
Pics.
|
|
Jameel Ahmad Ilyan Awad
|
17
|
12
|
Brux
|
125
|
2001
|
Didn’t receive a demolition order before
|
1
|
Pic. A+B: The “new” structure housing the family of Jameel Awad
B) Sheep Shelters:
|
Name
|
Type of Structure
|
Area
(in m2)
|
Year of Construction
|
Notes
|
Pic.
|
|
Jameel Ahmad Ilyan Awad
|
Brux
|
250
|
2001
|
Previously received a Stop Work Order
|
|
|
Cave
|
75
|
2001
|
Didn’t receive a demolition order before
|
||
|
Hammad Ilyan Awad Zein
|
Animal pen
|
250
|
1984
|
Previously received a Stop Work Order
|
C) Water Cisterns:
|
Name
|
Capacity (in m3)
|
Year of Construction
|
Notes
|
Pic.
|
|
Jameel Ahmad Ilyan Awad
|
320
|
2001
|
Previously received a Stop Work Order
|
|
|
Issa Hammad Ilyan Zein
|
450
|
2004
|
Issuing Stop Work Orders Against the Community’s Solar Panel:
In a related development, the residents of Saddat al Tha’ala indicated that occupation forces have issued in October 2011 Stop work Orders against the solar panels that provide the khirbet with electricity.
They have also mentioned that Captain Nabeel has issued written Orders indicating orders to remove the solar system which is funded through a grant from the German Government. The residents provided copies of the Orders to Ta’ayoush as to find some legal remedies for them. The residents have expressed deep concern that the occupation forces would carryout their threat leading the community to slip into darkness as was the case before the installation of the system. The community is also aware that the goal of the actions of the occupation forces is to make life very difficult for them as to force them to leave the land to be used later for further colonial expansion.
Saddat Al Tha’ala:
It is a small community located in a steep valley to the east of the khirbet of Umm Al Khair. Twelve families live in the community with a population of 80 Palestinians. They live in tents and tin shacks and depend on herding as the main source of income. Aspects of modern life are non-present in the khirbet except for the electricity generated by the solar panels. If the system is demolished, the community will be living in the dark ages once again.
As is the case with other khirbets in the South Mount Hebron, khirbet Saddat Al Tha’ala has been targeted by the violence of the colonists as well as by the Israeli occupation forces. Such violence manifested itself in frequent raids, chasing after the herders while grazing in their lands, preventing the herders from reaching grazing areas close to the colonies, throwing the refuse of the Ma’on Cow Farm into the lands of the residents of the khirbet as well as by the fact that the colonists have set up shooting ranges atop the hilltops surrounding the community.
The khirbet is surrounded from the west by the colony of Karmeil and the Bedouin community of Umm Al Khair, the colony of Ma’on’s Cow Farm from the east as well as the colony of Ma’on from the south.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
