Demolition of residences and barns in Khirbet al-Rahwa South of al-Dahrya town/ Hebron governorate

Violation: leveling down several structures

Date: 01/09/2014

Location: al-Dahrya/ Hebron governorate

Perpetrators: the army of the Israeli occupation and the Civil Administration CA

Victims: residents of the Khirbet

Details:

On 01/09/2014, the authorities of the occupation demolished 8 structures (4 houses, 2 barns and 2 bathrooms). The structures were basically tents made of shades cloth and metal slabs and are owned by residents of al-Rahwa. Citizen Jihad et-Til to the LRC observer asserted that a force of the occupation, the CA, workers,  and a bulldozer raided the Khirbet at 2:00 after midday where the workers evicted the residences for the bulldozer to level them to the ground. The following table shows the affected citizens and their structures:

*Source: Field Research- Monitoring Israeli Violations Team- Land Research Centre (LRC). 

Jihad et-Til pointed out that the authorities of the occupation destroyed the barn of citizen Salim et-Til without any previous orders andor notifications. Others received stop work orders two years ago and sought an attorney to object the notifications but to their surprise, the occupation came back today and leveled those structures to the ground.

It should be marked that the authorities of the occupation have been targeting al-Rahwa with frequent demolitions. Noteworthy, this small village is situated south of Tenih colony, which is located on the confiscated lands of al-Dahrya that witnesses new colonial expansion.

Photo9: the ravaging operation on Tenih colony in 2012

Photo10: the new outposts in Tenih in 2014

About al-Rahwa:

It is located south of Dahrya and east of Ramadin towns. The village was originally a primitive community for people who fully depended on livestock breeding and planting winter crops. The area is considered a Roman ancient and architectural one with several caves spread over.

The town populates around 50 people but they become 200 in spring for other families move in to graze their herds in the town’s pastures. Noteworthy, Tenih colony overlooks the northern part of al-Rahwa and is 1km away from it. The segregation and separation wall is there from the south as well as to Dahrya crossing to the 1948 occupied territories lands.

For further information about the demolition on June 2014 in the Khirbet, read the following report issued by Monitoring Israeli Violation Team- LRC :

 The occupation demolishes a fodder store in al-Rahwa on 18/06/2014 (Ar,Eng)

Land Research Center LRC sees that the demolitions contradict with all the International conventions and Humanitarian laws including:

Article 17 of the (1948) Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating: “Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”

Section ‹G› of article 23 of the (1907) The Hague Conventions asserting: “In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.”

Article 53 of the Geneva Fourth Convention (1948) declaring: “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.”

Section 1, Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966): “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent."

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC