Demolishing a Shack in Beit Jala

Violation: demolishing a 32-m2 shack.

Location: Al Makhrour, Beit Jala – Bethlehem.

Date: April 3, 2012.

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Civil Administration – Organization and Construction Committee.

Victim: George Khaliliyya.

Details:

On April 3, 2012, Israeli troops accompanied by a dozer demolished George Khaliliyya 32-m2 shack which is built in a 4-dunum-plot on the pretext of no permit despite the fact that the structure was built in 1967. The owner had recently renovated the shack in a process that cost him a total of 60,000 ILS. The shack is considered a summer house where the family stays in days of harvest or planting. It must be noted that the family received an eviction order on March 5, 2012. the owner appealed to the order through Beit Jala Municipality which assigned Gayyath Naser, an attorney of law, as its legal representative. However, the case had apparently meant nothing to the Israeli Army which carried out the demolition anyhow.

Picture 1-3: destruction

Picture 4: eviction order

Beit Jala:

It is located 1 km to the west of Bethlehem and 8 km to the south west of the Occupied City of Jerusalem. 3147 dunums (22%) of the town’s lands were confiscated to expand the borders of ‘greater Jerusalem’ and a number of surrounding colonies including:

Gilo: it was established in 1971 to cover around 2738 dunums in area nowadays. 1117 dunums are part of Beit Jala lands. The colony is inhabited by 31500 colonists.
Har Gilo: it was established in 1972 to cover around 420 dunums in area nowadays. 314 dunums are part of Beit Jala lands. The colony is inhabited by 414 colonists.

Area and Location:

Beit Jala is inhabited by 16700 Palestinians (PCBS). Its total area is 14337 dunums divided into 6142 dunums (area ‘A’), 91 dunums (area ‘B’), and 8104 dunums (area ‘C’) (Oslo Interim Agreement 1995).

Al Makhrour:

Al Makhrour is a valley located to the west of Beit Jala; it has been targeted by the Israelis since the first days of occupation because of its strategic location. It is surrounded by the bypass leading to the Occupied City of Jerusalem (east), al Walaja (north), Battir (west), and al Khader (south). Its total area is around 3500 dunums planted mostly with prunus and olives.