Demolition of structures in the different Bedouin communities of East Jerusalem

Violation: demolishing 24 structures

Location: Al-Khan Al-Ahmar Al-Za’ayyem

Date: August 17, 2015

Perpetrators: Israeli occupation army

Victims:  95 Bedouin members including 60 children

Details:

 A massive force from the Israeli occupation army accompanied by a staff from the Civil Administration and military dozers  surrounded  some Bedouin communities in the areas of Al-Za’ayyem and Al-Khan Al-Ahmar and embarked on demolishing structures under the claim of “unlicensed construction” .

As a result, 95 Bedouin members including 60 children became homeless where more than 24 structures (15 residences, 5 barns 3 bathrooms, 1 guest hall) were leveled to the ground.

The Israeli occupation authorities have delivered demolition notices on residences under the claim of “unlicensed construction”. This comes within the Israeli plan (E1) that aims at displacing Bedouins and relocating  them in new established communities in Jericho. The following table shows information about the affected Bedouins due to the demolition:

Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-201

A new plan to uproot the Bedouin communities from al-Ghoor and Jerusalem and relocate them in Al-Nuwei’ma-Jericho

The so-called Inspection Sub-Committee of Israel Civil Administration on August 2014 deposited a number of  master plans, which aim at establishing substitute villages in the areas of al-Nuwei'ma and Duyuk al-Fauqa, north of Jericho for the Bedouin communities located in the Palestinian Jordan Valley al-Ghoor  and occupied Jerusalem. 

This step is taken to wipe out the Bedouin communities from the area and create a room  for Israeli colonies to expand, accomplishing  the grater aim of Israel, which is to annex the lands of al-Ghoor to the State of Israel; the colonies are Male Adummim and Kedar. Noteworthy, this is to implement the E1 Project that comes within the occupational project "Grater Jerusalem".

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

1. 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.”
2. 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.”
3. 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.”
4. 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