“Funded and established by the EU
The Israeli Occupation Forces demolish 20 structures in Hebron hamlets of Jinba and Halawah

• Violation: demolishing 20 structures
• Location:  February 02, 2016
• Date:  Halawah and Jinba hamlet- Yatta town
• Perpetrators: Israel Civil Administration
• Victims:  20 Palestinian families

Details:

The Israeli Occupation Forces demolished on February 02, 2016 a number of structures belonging to residents of Masafer Yatta, south Hebron and confiscated solar panels used to generate electricity for the area.

 It is reported that a force from the occupation army, Border Police and Israel Civil Administration accompanied by two JCB dozers arrived at the area of Masafer Yatta and headed to the hamlets of Jinba and Al-Halawah.

Dozers, at each community, demolished structures on the claim of "unlicensed construction", leaving many families homeless.

The demolished structures were reported built in 2014-2015 to shelter the residents of Masafer Yatta with funds from the EU through Action against Hunger ACF organization.

Demolition in Jinba:

The Israeli Occupation Forces demolished twelve residences and five toilets and confiscated solar units for electricity generating( solar panels and batteries). It should be marked that the solar units were gifted by Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem ARIJ organization.

It should be also marked that the confiscated items were moved to Kfar Etzion colony, south Bethlehem and a "minute of confiscation" was delivered to the owners. The demolished residences are built by cement bricks and roofed with metal slaps. The residences belong to the following:

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

Photos 1-9: signs of demolition on the community

Demolition in Al-Halawah:

The Israeli Occupation Forces demolished eight residences and one toilet and confiscated solar units for electricity generating( solar panels and batteries). It should be marked that the solar units were gifted by Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem ARIJ organization. The following table shows information about the affected residents of Al-Halawah:

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

Photos 10-19: signs of demolition on the community

A crime against humanity:

Ali Jabarin (55) said that the attack on his family and neighbors is a crime against humanity, through which the occupation intends to displace the residents of Jinba and take the area over.

Al-Jabarin was narrating the details of demolition, recalling the displacement they went through in 1990s and 2000. He showed the researcher of Land Research Center some photos of their areas, caves and residences.

Photos 20-23: The displacement of Jinba residents in 2000

Female citizen ,Um Fadil, from Khirbet Al-Halawah narrated the details of demolition for the researcher of Land Research Center with tears in her eyes. At time, she was seen collecting some of what once was parts of her house interior.

The five year old Fadil, in an innocent way, said: "they demolished our house".

The residents of Jinba, one day after the demolition, told the researcher of Land Research Center how they spent the night homeless and out in the cold. Ali Jabarin said the following:

"My young son kept on waking up frightened and traumatized. Every time he awakes, the boy repeated the same phrase: "did the dozers come back?"

In conclusion, the Israeli Occupation Forces demolished 20 residence, leaving 184 citizens including 71 children homeless.

Photos 24-26: view of the residences before being demolished

Measures of relief:

It should be marked that the village council of Masafer Yatta promptly responded and helped some families that don’t have any substitute dwellings. Land Research Center and its partner Action Against Hunger ACF provided the affected families with some relieving tools. This step comes within the "Promotion of the local democracy and economic activity through the reinforcement of Palestinian Non State Actors NSA" project

Photos 27-29: the gifted tents to shelter the affected people

The occupation forces a citizen to demolish his own structure:

It is reported that the attacking force reached out the structures of Samir Hamamdih in the area of Al-Fakheit and ordered it evacuated. The accompanying workers cut the electricity off of the house and the tent while Hamamdih and his family evacuated the interior of the  tent and dismantled it. The force then informed the owner that the demolition was halted through a decision made by Israel Supreme Court.

After spending a night homeless, Hamadih and his 7 member family including 5 children are still threatened of demolition. The threatened structures are a 70m2 house (two rooms roofed with metal slaps) and a 40m2 tent.

Photos 30-31: a view of Hamadih's residence

It should be marked that the Israeli Occupation Forces served on September 07, 2015 final demolition orders in the hamlets of Jinba, Al-Halawah and Al-Tabban. Affected people objected to the orders through Israeli courts but the structures got eventually demolished.

Land Research Center documented violations and attacks on Yatta areas and residents as follows:

1. Demolition orders in Khirbet Al-Halawah-Yatta ( AR, ENG)
2. Demolition order in Khirbet Jinba- Yatta (AR, ENG)

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