In the early morning of October 11, 2011, 4 Israeli military jeeps and army bulldozers raided Khirbet Yerza east of Tubas and demolished for the third time the 120 square meters mosque of the village and a small room of 20 square meters under the pretext of being built without permit. The IOF hindered local residents from reaching the mosque to salvage the properties (Quran, books and stuff) and declared the area as closed military area where residents are prohibited to be in.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli Occupation Authorities claimed that the mosque is located in lands classified as ‘C’ areas according to Oslo II Interim Agreement of 1995, which falls under the full Israeli control (Security and Administrative), and Palestinians who live in these areas must acquire a building permit from the Israeli Civil Administration to build , which is difficult to get.
It is worth to point out that this was not the first time that mosque was targeted, where it had been demolished two time before. The first one was, on November 25, 2011, when the Israeli Occupation Authorities demolished the Mosque in addition to 27 structures that were used as agricultural facilities, fodder stores and animal barns. And the second time was on February 17, 2011.The mosque was built before the year 1967 and the village council had built a small room next to the mosque to be able to accommodate the growing number of village residents.
About Khirbet Yerza
Khirbet Yerza, a small Palestinian community of about 39 residents (PCBS 2007). It is located 6 km to the east of Tubas city, in northern Jordan valley and is bordered by Al Malih community from the east, Al ‘Aqaba village to the north, Tubas city to the west and Al Buqai’a valley area and Kopra military base from the south. Due to the existence of the aforementioned military base, the village witnessed the extensive array of methods employed by the Israeli occupation to displace the population out of their place of residency as it uses the surrounding areas for training purposes. Due to that, the IOF hindered residents from reaching and accessing their lands and fields as they were declared ‘closed area’, reserving them for military trainings. (ARIJ .Village Profile)
Location of Khirbet Yerza- Tubas Governorate
Previous Israeli attacks at Khirbet Yerza
On July 30, 2010, the Israeli Civil Administration gave six Palestinian families in Kherbit Yerza military orders to halt the construction at their structures and the only Mosque allegedly for building without license, due to their location in the area classified as ‘C area’, which under Oslo II agreement of 1995, falls under the Israeli sovereignty.
Moreover,on November 25, 2010, The Israeli Occupation Authorities targeted Kherbit Yerza for the second time and demolished the only Mosque in the village in addition to 27 structures that were used as agricultural facilities, fodder stores and animal barns. The Israeli authorities justified the demolition process for unlicensed building due to their location in an area classified by the Israeli authorities as ‘Closed Military Area’.
On February 9, 2011 the Israeli occupation Authorities notified a number of Palestinian families in Kherbit Yerza of their intention to destroy at any time, a number of buildings and facilities without pre-notice under the pretext that the families’ presence in the area is illegal.
Furthermore, on February 17, 2011, eight Israeli Occupation army jeeps accompanied bulldozers and demolished Palestinian structures in Kherbit Yerza and demolished Kherbit Yerza’s only Mosque and seven other barracks. The Israeli Occupation army also gave residents of Kherbit Yerza orders to demolish other houses and barracks in the coming days.
Later on June 21, 2011, the Israeli Army bulldozers demolished three residential barrackses, a tent, and two animal shelters owned by local resident Fayez Hamed ‘Abed Daraghmeh under the pretext of lacking building permits.
The Israeli actions and aggressive violations contradict the International Law Rules and Conventions as;
- Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention indicates that: Extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. is a grave breach of the Convention.
- Also Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 provides that: 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.
- Article. 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 also provide: 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.
Prepared by:
