On December 5, 2011, the Israeli Municipality in the Occupied City of Jerusalem demolished Majdi al Salyma (30) residence located in Beit Hanina. Majdi’s residence was built in 2006 using metal slabs and preliminary materials; its total area was 50 m2.Majdi is the sole supporter of a 6-member family than includes four 5 to ten years old children.
Picture 1-6: demolished residence
His wife stated to an LRC observer: ‘in 2006, my husband built the house out of metal slabs and plastic; he wanted us to have a shelter. Some months later, we received a note saying that we are living in unlicensed house; they also fined us an amount of 15,000 ILS.My husband paid the whole amount over 15 months. He had been in contact with his lawyer the whole time; the lawyer told him that since his payment the matter had not surfaced. At 9:00 am on December 5, 2012, we were gutted to see around 50 soldiers surrounding our house; they ordered us to immediately evacuate the house because they want to demolish it!
My husband demanded seeing the demolition order but they refuted his request and said that they stuck the order on the door a week earlier.None of us has seen any orders.My husband then managed to persuade them to allow us to clear the contents of the house; they gave us an hour and a half to do so. While waiting, the soldiers were harassing us or any passerby; they even attacked my mother in law (60) when a soldier knocked her in the chest. They even threatened to detain the women accusing them of obstructing the soldiers work.The soldier left at 14:00 after turning it into rubble.‘ Majdi set a tent on the ruins of the house to shelter his family in the cold month of December. She added: ‘I don’t know what guilt we committed; all what we wanted is living in a simple house while they are living in their fancy colonies.‘
Picture 7-8: the family’s tent
The Israeli Occupation house demolition policy is becoming more brutal with time; not a day passes without demolition, threatening, or capturing a house of an Arab family. The Israeli policies conflicts with the international conventions and the International Humanitarian Law; the Israeli acts are categorized as war crimes.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
