The Israeli Occupation Army's bulldozers accompanied by a large number of Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stormed the small village of Shuqba, located northwest of Ramallah Governorate, and demolished two Palestinian houses owned by the local residents Mr. Basim Hassan (8 dwellers) and Mr. Subhi Ibrahim (11 dwellers). The Israeli pretext for carrying out the demolishing is that the targeted houses do not have building permits.
Furthermore, the Israeli forces served five other local residents with military orders notifying them that their houses stand in violation under the same pretext and subject to demolish.
Shuqba is a small village located northwest Ramallah Governorate, 17 km away from the city of Ramallah,and 3.8 km away from the Green Line (the 1949 Armistice Line). The village occupies a total area of 13,109 dunums out of which 728 dunums (5.5%) constitutes the built up area. The village is home to 5,082 inhabitants (PCBS 2008).
Shuqba is surrounded by Al Lubban Al Gharbi and the Illegal Israeli settlement of 'Ofarim' from the north, the Israeli Apartheid Segregation Wall and Al Qibya Palestinian village from southwest, the Israeli bypass road No. 446 from the east, Al Shabtin Palestinian village from the south, and by the Palestinian village of Deir Abu Mash’al from the northeast. See map 1
Ever Ending Colonial Practices
This was not the first time the Israeli bulldozers carry out demolishing orders of Palestinian houses in Shuqba. On February 8, 2006, the Israeli forces demolished five Palestinian houses owned by local residents of the village under the pretext of lacking building permits. Moreover, on April 18, 2007, the Israeli forces and without any prior notification, demolished two rooms and an office attached to a local brick factory. It is worth mentioning that Shuqba village, like many other Palestinian villages, suffered and still suffering from the Israeli occupation and its colonial practices and procedures.
In October 14, 2003, the Israeli Army issued a military order # (69/03/T) to confiscate 862 dunums of lands belong to several Palestinian villages; including Shuqba village in order to built the Segregation Wall.
On July 4, 2004, the Israeli Army issued another military order holding # (26/04/T) to confiscate 125 dunums of Shuqba’s lands also to build the Israeli Apartheid Segregation Wall. The total length of the Israeli Segregation Wall path set to run across the lands of Shuqba village is 2,8 Km, which will end up isolating approximately 1124 Dunums (approximately 9%) of the total village’s lands.
Later, on March 31, 2007, the Israeli Army revealed new amendments to the route of the Segregation Wall, including the section running by the Israeli Modi'in Illit settlements’ bloc west of Ramallah governorate, about five Km from the 1949 Armistice Line (the Green Line). Accordingly, Shuqba village as well as other Palestinian villages: Al Luban, Al Gharbi- Rantis – Qibya- Budrus- Ni'lin – Al Midya), will be trapped in an enclave surrounded by the Israeli Apartheid Segregation Wall from three sides (north, west and south) and the Israeli controlled road #446 from the eastern side. Accordingly, a population exceeding 24,892 Palestinian residents (seven Palestinian villages) will end up confined to their villages by the Israeli Apartheid Segregation Wall.
To Conclude
Israel continues to be persistent with its land grab policy, which include the eradication of the Palestinian people from their lands, to loot as much as possible of the Palestinian lands behind the Segregation Wall along with the settlements, to eventually annex it toward the Israeli State in spite of the international condemnations of what Israel calls “a security barrier” which if any thing has proven to be an explicit breach of the International law rules and conventions.
Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel, as an occupying power, are prohibited from destroying the Palestinian properties.
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Article 53 of the convention 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.
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Also Article 147 of the same convention indicated 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.
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Moreover, 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
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem
