On the 4th of October 2011, the Israeli Civil Administration accompanied by two military jeeps and bulldozers raided Kafr Ad Deik Village, in Salfit Governorate and demolished Palestinian Agricultural structures; these structures included two agricultural water wells, two Crops store rooms, three tin shacks, and 5 residential tents. Furthermore, Palestinian building contractors and employees of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee, who were implementing the Agricultural Road for Palestinian farmers to access their lands isolated west of the Israeli segregation wall were threatened by the Israeli Occupation Forces to confiscate their vehicles and equipments used to implement the rehabilitation project of the road. The area where the violation took place is known by ‘Al-Wijeh Al-Shami (or Dahr Al-Sobh), which holds 80% of the total land area of Kafr Ad Deik village.
It is worth mentioning that the water wells, the road, and the other structures that were demolished by the Israeli bulldozers were funded by the Dutch Representative, to encourage and help Palestinian farmers access their lands isolated west of the wall. Table 1 gives details of the Palestinian structures that were demolished by the Israeli Occupation demolished:-
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Table 1: Demolished Palestinian structures in Kafr Ad Deik village, Salfit Governorate
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No.
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Property Demolished
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Total Area
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Type of Use
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1.
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Water Well
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120 cubic meter
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Agricultural
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2.
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Water Well
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80 cubic meter
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Agricultural
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3.
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Crops store room
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25 square meter
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Crops Store
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4.
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Crops store room
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50 square meter
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Crops Store
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5.
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Tin shack
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75 square meter
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3 Livestock barn
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6.
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tents
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16 square meter
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5 Residential
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Source: Kafr Ad Deik Village Council – 2011
It is worth mentioning that until the 2nd of October 2011, the Israeli civil administration didn’t object to the work that has been going on in the area, where the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee already completed the construction of 20 agricultural wells and the rehabilitation of (3 out of 4 km) road. The Israeli Occupation Forces along with crews of the Israeli Civil Administration raided the area of the project on the 4th of October 2011 and demolished what has already been constructed and rehabilitated.
Furthermore, on the 13th of October 2011, the Israeli occupation forces raided the village and delivered several demolition orders to the Palestinian farmers in the area, where these orders targeted some artesian water wells, crops storage rooms, and halted the rehabilitation work on the agricultural road that is serving the lands in that area.
Yet again, the Israeli occupation forces, threatened the contractors supervising the work on the Agricultural road with arrest, and prohibited them from resuming work on the project under the road was newly constructed, while the road has been serving the farmers of Kafr Ad Deik for more than ten years but has not been paved. Table 2 gives details of demolished and threatened properties in Kafr Ad-Diek, Salfit Governorate.
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Table 2: Demolished and threatened properties in Kafr Ad Deik, Salfit Governorate
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Owner
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Property Demolished
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Total Area
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Type of Use
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Ashraf Tahsin Ali
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Wooden House
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70 square meter
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Residential
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Muhammad Afif Ahmad
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Wooden house
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25 square meter
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Residential
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Unknown
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Wooden houses
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50 square meter * 8 houses
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Residential
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Unknown
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Tin houses
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30 square meter * 4 houses
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Residential
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Unknown
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Tin shake
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80 square meter * 10
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Livestock barns
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Source: Kafr Ad Deik Village Council
Table 3 gives details of the new demolition orders that were distributed to Palestinian farmers of Kafr Ad Deik village, Salfit Governorate.
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Table 3: New demolition orders in Kafr Ad Deik village, Salfit Governorate
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No.
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Owner
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Order Number
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1
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Kafr Ad Deik Agricultural Road
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2
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Najeh Ali Ahmad
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3
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Mahmoud Ali Abd-AlRahman
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4
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Sa’adat Tahir Sa’id
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5
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Basheer Tahir Sa’id
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6
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Wajeeh Ali Ahmad
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Source: Kafr Ad Deik Village Council
Previous Israeli attacks on the village of Kafr Ad Deik
On the 27th of September 2008, the Israeli settlers of Alei Zahav settlement attacked the village of Kafr Ad Deik late at night and under the protection of the Israeli Occupation Army, the settlers caused destruction to many properties, including cars, trucks, houses, and caused a state of horror to residents of the village.
On the 23rd of June 2010, the Israeli Occupation Army, accompanied with Israeli planning and construction committee, raided the village of Kafr Ad Deik and delivered 6 halt of construction orders to residents of the village under the pretext of not having building permits. See copies of the military orders.
Furthermore, on the 8th of February 2011, the Israeli Occupation Forces confiscated tens of dunums of Kafr Ad Deik Village lands, mainly from Um SamanHistorical Site lands for the expansion of Alei Zahav & Pedu’el Settlements.
Later on the 5th of July 2011, the Israeli Occupation Forces again raided the village of Kafr Ad Deik and started an expansion campaign in the area that included Alei Zahav (Yoezer) and Pedu’el Settlements. 240 dunums were razed from the village’s lands for the expansion of Alei Zahav Settlement and another 200 dunums were razed and confiscated for the expansion of Pedu’el Settlement.
It is worth mentioning that the main area that has been targeted for years either at the hands of Israeli settlers of occupation forces in Kafr Ad Deik village is ‘Al-Wijeh Al-Shami (locally known as ‘Dahr As Soboh’), which is a hill of 4000 dunums area and is cultivated with olive trees, and containing many Palestinian archeological sites. See Map 1
Map 1: location of threatened Palestinian properties in Kafr Ad Deik Village, Salfit Governorate.
Israeli settlements established on lands of Kafr Ad Deik village :
In an analysis carried out by the Geographical information system at the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ) showed that 1641 dunums of Kafr Ad Deik village lands (10.8% of the village’s total area) were confiscated for the construction of 5 Israeli settlements throughout the years of Occupation. The settlements are: Alei Zahar (Yoezer), Har Alei Zahav, Pedu’el, Pedu’el Industrial Zone and Bruchin. Table 4 gives more details of the Israeli settlements established on lands of Kafr Ad Deik
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Table 04 The Israeli Settlements in Kafr Ad Deik Village, Salfiet Governorate
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No
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Settlement
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Establish date
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Population
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Total Area
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Area confiscated from Kafr Ad Deik village lands
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1
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Alei Zahav
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1981
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851
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352
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352
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2
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Har Alei Zahav
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1983
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N/A
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488
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271
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3
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Pedu’el
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1984
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1227
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539
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518
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4
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Pedu’el Industrial Zone
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1991
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N/A
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246
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246
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5
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Bruchin
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1999
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485
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328
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254
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6
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Total
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–
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2563
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1953
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1641
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Source: GIS Unit / ARIJ 2011
Furthermore, the latest revised wall route which was published by the Israeli ministry of Defense on April 30, 2011 showed that the wall will confiscate more of Kafr Ad Deik village lands as 9 km wall will be constructed on lands of the village and will cause the confiscation of about 8300 dunums of the village’s lands (54.5% of the total village area). Moreover, the lands cut from Kafr Ad Deik village will be isolated in an enclave along with 3 other Palestinian communities, Deir Ballut, Rafat, and Az Zawia. See Map 1
A glance about Kafr Ad Deik Village
The village of Kafr Ad Deik is 18 Km away from Salfit city and is inhabited by 5750 residents. It is bordered by Bruqin village from the east, the villages of Dier Ballout and Rafat from the west, from the north, the villages of Bidya and Sarta, and from the south Dier Ghassana village. The village occupies a total land Area of 15228 dunums, of which, 630 dunums constitute the built-up area.
To conclude
The Israeli methodic house destruction campaign carried out by the Israeli Army flagrantly violates the International humanitarian law, and the International law rules and conventions and United Nations resolutions.
According to the Fourth Geneva Convention Israel is prohibited to demolish the Palestinian houses according to the Article 53 of the Convention which 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.
Under the same convention, particularly Article 147 provides that: of the Convention provides 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.
Moreover, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965) Article 5 provides that: ‘States’ Parties undertake to prohibit and eliminate racial discrimination in all of its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, color, or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of the following rights: (e) in particular … (iii) the right to housing’.
In the year 2004 the United Nations Security Council called on Israel to stop demolition of Palestinian homes under Resolution No. 1544-(2004), the resolution states: ‘The Security Council called on Israel to respect its obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly the obligation not to undertake home demolitions contrary to that law’.
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