The Israeli Occupation Authorities demolished two water cisterns in Al Harayeq, southern Hebron city. The owner, Abdul Hameed al Jamal stated that on June 14, 2011, Israeli forces surrounded the site and two jackhammers and a dozer were brought to carry out the demolition.
Picture 1-4: the demolition process
He pointed that the cisterns were built in 2010 in order to irrigate 7 dunums of green houses which are considered the only source of income for 5 brothers and their children.
Picture 5: the greenhouses
Table: demolished cisterns:
|
No.
|
Victim
|
Structure
|
Volume m3
|
Construction year
|
Irrigated area
|
Crop
|
Picture b.d.
|
Picture a.d.
|
|
1
|
Abdul Hameed al Jamal
|
Water cistern
|
768
|
2010
|
7 dunums of green houses
|
vegetables
|
||
|
Water cistern
|
4200
|
2010
|
He stated that he received a stop-work order for three water cisterns on May 20, 2011. He hired an attorney and prepared all the documents needed to apply for a permit in an attempt to stop the demolition. However, the Israeli Occupation Authorities handed him a final demolition order on June 7, 2011.
Picture A+B: photocopies of the stop-work orders
Picture C+D+E: photocopies of the demolition orders
While trying to stop the demolition; Israeli troops attacked the family with gas and sound grenades and prevented them from approaching. He pointed that the dozer buried one of the water pumps.
Picture 10-11: Israeli troops chasing the family
The huge amounts of water that leaked from the cisterns soaked the nearby fields damaging a lot of the seedlings.
In addition; the Israeli dozers tramped over some of the plants outside the green houses.
Picture 12-13: damage traces
After the destruction of the cisterns, Al Jamal was wondering about the fate of his crop, and his family, he said: ‘I planted seasonal tomatoes and now it needs to be watered; this has destroyed the whole produce!’ He said that now he can depend on rain water only; he said that he had placed some barrels in a water stream in order collect water and pump it to his field. Al Harayeq is located to the south of Hebron city; it is 700 m afar from Beit Haggai colony.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
