Demolishing a facility in Ni’lin / Ramallah governorate

• Violation: Demolishing a commercial facility on the pretext of building without licenses.
• Location: Al-Mhallel location south Ni’lin / Ramallah governorate.
• Date: February 5^th 2020.
• Perpetrator: The Israeli Occupation forces.
• Victims: Ali ‘Adi and Yehya Khalil.

Description:

Wednesday afternoon , February 5^th , a massive army force accompanied by a military bulldozer raided Al-Mhallel south Ni’lin in Ramallah governorate , where they perpetrated demolition and confiscation at a location close to the apartheid wall.

The workshop belongs to Ali ‘Adi (29) and Yehya Khalil (34) from Kafr Ne’ama village. The following table shows more information about the targeted facilities:

Affected Citizen Ali ‘Adi told LRC :

“Early October 2019 , I started a station for recycling minerals for selling , the station was set up on a plot with a total area of 2650 dunums. In January 25^th 2020, I received a notice numbered (10123) under the title “Removal of a new building” , the notice gave me only 96 hours before the demolition , I  seeked legal aid from JLAC, and was later informed that the license application was refused , in February 5^th I was shocked of the occupation forces showing up and confiscating the metal room, my financial loss reached 75,000 NIS.”

Al-Mhallel is a hotspot for Israeli violations , the occupation’s bulldozers demolished 34 facilities , and several others were notified of demolition , which rings the alarm of a human disaster that will affect tens of families from Ni’lin and the surrounding communities.

About Ni’lin:[1]

20 km to the northwest of Ramallah, Ni’lin is edged by the towns of Qibya and Budrus from the north, Al-Midyah town from the southwest, Deir Qidees town from the east and Mod’in and Kiryat Sefer colonies from the south.

Ni’lin is inhabited by 5897 people on a total land area of 15,206 dunums , of which 748 dunums are the village’s built-up area.

The occupation confiscated a total of 3020 dunums for colonial ends, which are detailed as follows:

• Hashmona’im colony: it was established in 1985 on confiscated area of 858 dunums from the village. It is now inhabited by 2097 colonists.
• Kiryat Sefer: it was established in 1991 on confiscated area of 476 dunums from the village. It is now inhabited by 24,290 colonists.
• Mattityahu colony: it was established in 1980 on confiscated area of 657 dunums from the village. It is now inhabited by 1365 colonists.
• Colonial bypass road number 446confiscated 408 dunums 
• The apartheid wallconfiscated 621 dunums for the favor of its construction and isolated 14,083 behind it.

According to Oslo Accords lands classifications, Ni’lin lands are classified as follows:

• 1,123 dunums are classified as area “B”
• 14,083 dunums are classified as area “C”

International Conventions and agreements pertaining to house and residents demolition:

Article 147 of Geneva fourth convention  : extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. ( it is considered a serious violation of the convention)

Article 53 of Geneva fourth convention that forbids destroying properties : 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 co-operative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

Article 33 of Geneva fourth convention: No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Article 17 (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”