The dozers of Israeli Occupation Forces demolished on February 15, 2017 under construction house in Hizma town, north Jerusalem on the claim of "unlicensed construction". The demolished house is reported owned by citizen Jabir Al-Khatib, who was planning to move in to the residence with his wife and five children.
Citizen Al-khatib told Land Research Center the following: " In 2008, I started the construction of the house on a one dunum plot that I own in the area. The location is only 10 meters away from the bypass road that links Jaba' village to Hizma. I built the 100 m2 house to avoid paying a monthly rent of 650 NIS in the place I am living in".
One month prior to the demolition, employees from Israel Ministry of Interior and a staff from Israel Civil Administration arrived at the location and hanged demolition orders on many house including mine. An officer told the affected people that they have to demolish the structure within thirty days otherwise the occupation will demolish them and all expenses and costs will be billed to owners. The total cost of demolition is 30,000 NIS. But I didn’t demolish the house, thinking that the occupation will not take a further action.
On February 15, 2017 , I received a phone call from the neighbors telling me that the occupation dozers were bringing down my house. When my wife and I arrived there, she collapsed from the shock and was moved to Ramallah hospital. Tests showed that my wife had a miscarriage"
About Hizma:
It is 8km to the northeast of Jerusalem; it populates 9256 people on a built-up area of 1000 dunums out of its 18000 dunums total land area. According to Oslo lands classification of 1993, a small part of the village's area — the built-up area– is classified as area "B" that is under Palestinian control where the rest is classified "C" that is administratively run by the occupation municipality of Jerusalem .
The occupation confiscated 2500 dunums of Hizma for the expansion of various colonies namely ( Pisgat Zev, Pisgat Amir, Adam and Nevi Yaacov). It should be marked that the apartheid wall travels 4km on the lands of Hizma town, isolating 40% of the village's total area behind its construction.
Noteworthy, closures on the town have been applied on the town ever since the first intifada of 2000. Such measure was meant as a collective punishment on the town's residents.
Land Research Center LRC sees that 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.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
