In a massive vicious attack on Palestinian structure: Israeli Occupation Forces demolish 12 buildings in the Jerusalem town of Qalandiya

Dozers and diggers of the occupation's municipality demolished on July 26, 2016 thirty eight residential apartments in twelve different buildings in the Jerusalem town of Qalandiya. Noteworthy, the demolition operation started at midnight and lasted until early hours of dawn. Demolition was carried out on the claim of structures' proximity to the apartheid wall and "unlicensed construction", taking into consideration that some of the demolished buildings were licensed from the occupation's municipality since 1995 and that the target area is located within municipal borders.

It is reported Israeli Occupation Forces and Policemen raided the area one day before the demolition  and threw demolition orders next to the targeted building. Ironically, the orders mentioned a 72 hour deadline to object to the demolition. The deadline was not fulfilled and building were leveled to the ground. As a result, clashes erupted between locals and Police members. Bullets and stun grenades were fired to disperse the enraged citizens.

An affected citizen, Ibrahim Salameh, told Land Research Center the following: " In 1997, we obtained building permits and licenses from the occupation's municipality. This happened after we applied for the permits since 1984. The municipality approved construction on 3 dunum area, which is a plot registered as Israeli and Turkish Tapo "Land Registry". We intended to establish a factory since the area is founded nearby Atarot Industrial Zone. We started construction of the factory but changed the plan in 2001 to make it a residential building consisting of 16 apartments. The structure  is two buildings combined with a parking.  Construction was done in 2004.

In 2000, the apartheid wall isolated our lands from Jerusalem. We filed a suit case asking for the building to be annexed and returned to the boundaries of Jerusalem since our structures are licensed by Israel's municipality. The court ruled to open an exist in wall for us but the decision was never implemented".

He also added: "One day before demolition, Israeli Policemen threw the demolition order next to the building. The order mentioned a 72 hour deadline to object to the demolition, which the occupation did not stick to. Demolition was carried out before the deadline ends. This happened at time we were participating in a wedding party in Hebron. We are now filing complaints against the vicious act in Israeli courts". The following table shows information about the affected and their properties:

Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-2016

At the first glance, a watcher would suggest that the area was stroke by an earthquake. Rubbles of buildings is mixed and land marks had totally changed. Everything is leveled to the ground except for the apartheid wall and its watch posts surrounding the attacked area.

Scenes of destruction resulted by the demolition

Qalandiya and the apartheid wall:

The Israeli apartheid wall isolated the 3,273 dunum Qalandiya town to be surrounded and trapped from all directions. People of the town cannot communicate and interact with neighbors but through the only entrance that leads to Ramallah city. Noteworthy, Qalandiya was located within the boundaries of Jerusalem before the wall separated it from the city. Atarot colony is reported to confiscate 555 dunums from the lands of Qalandiya in addition to another 429 dunums, which were taken for Qalandiya airport that is now closed. See below map  

Commentary:

The number of residences and structures demolished since the beginning of 2016 until the date of this report totaled 172 ones. Team of field research documented the demolition of 172 residences and structures as follows: 

Demolition of 113 residences rendering 400 people including 185 children homeless. 36 residences of the aforementioned were either under construction or in the finishing phase. Details are as follows:

• 72 stone residences
• 16 brick residences roofed with metal slaps (residential barracks)
• 15 cement blocks residences
• 7 residential tents
• 2 caravans
• 1 building foundation

Demolition of 59 structures benefitting 280 people including 140 children. The structures are detailed as follows:

• 17 agricultural barracks sheltering 550 sheep
• 16 agricultural rooms
• 21 commercial and industrial facilities
• 4 warehouses
• 6 retaining walls
• 1 mosque
• 2 parks and playing grounds
• 2 mobile toilets

The graph illustrates the number of demolished structures and residences in Jerusalem since January 1st to July 26, 2016

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