A whole Palestinian Khirbet wiped out from the map by the Israeli occupation forces

On October 29, 2007, the Israeli occupation forces demolished houses made of tents, barracks, bowers and caves for 48 nucleus families in Khirbet Qasa, Idhna town which is located at the distance of 15 km to the west of Hebron city. The demolished houses which all formed the whole Khirbet are located inside the Segregation Wall near the newly opened Targumiay crossing terminal after they had been annexed by the Wall two years ago.  The Khirbet was demolished under the pretext of un-licensing and all its 270 citizens ( 48 nucleus families) were made homeless.

( Photo 1: Location of Khirbet Qasa)

The victims' families who had been living here before the creation of the state of Israeli in 1948 and even before are mainly shepherds and farmers who totally depend on animal breeding and farming as main income.

( Photo 2: an elderly man with his lambs in Khirbet Qasa)

Mr. Khalid An Natah, an eye witness from the village said in an interview with LRC field worker that 3 Israeli army bulldozers accompanied by an army force carried out the demolition process which lasted for four hours ( from 8 Am -12 PM). Once the task was performed the army force threatened to confiscate all the sheep and arrest all the family members if they didn't leave the area by noon of the second day.

According to Idhna municipality, this demolition campaign was preceded by anther one last year in which a barrack owned by Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Awad was demolished. The demolition campaigns aims at forcing the Qasa's six extended families of An Natah, Ighbariya, Abu Sa'doun, Abu Zalata, Tumaizi and Alweridat out of the their land and dwellings which all now are located inside the Segregation Wall.

Three out of the aforementioned extended families are refugees who were expelled out of their land in Beit Givrin in the year 1948 ( Beit Givrin is located inside Israel at the distance of about 10 km from Khirbet Qasa and was announced as a Kibutz after the war of 1948).  Now, almost half of Qasa population are registered refugee holding UNRWA cards.   

(Photo 3: children of Qasa made homeless)

The village citizens were given demolition and evacuation warnings ever since the commencement of Wall path works two years ago.

The following is a list of the victimized nucleus families:

Arrests and fines

During the demolition process the Israeli occupation forces arrested the following two citizens:

1.     Mr. Arafat Abdul Halim Adul Qader An Natah, arrested for 11 days and was forced to pay a 5000 NIS fine upon his release;

2.     Mr. Nidal Hamad Ahmad An Natah, a shepherd, sentenced to three months actual imprisonment. 

Previous harassment against the Khirbet

1.     On 9.2.2006, a tractor was detained for two months for transferring animal fodder into the Khirbet;

2.     On 1.9.2007 another tractor was sentenced to six months detention but was released after one and a half month by a lawyer intervention.

3.     Continuous Damage of dairy products on the way to local markets;

4.     Continuous Damage of animal fodder on the way to the Khirbet.

(Photo 8: a tent-house in Khirbet Qasa separated behind the path of the Wall seen in the background)

Material losses incurred during the demolition campaign

1.     Erasing the whole village from the map;

2.     Destruction of 48 dwellings;

3.     Destruction of 260 tons of fodder;

4.     Destruction of 37 still water tanks each at the capacity of 1.5 M3;

5.     Destruction of 5 wells;

6.     Destruction of 50 caves in which animal fodder, furniture, cookers and cooking equipment were stored;

7.     100 ton of firewood were set ablaze and destroyed;

8.     30 truck- loads of manure used for fertilizing the agricultural land in the Khirbet were set on fire;

9.     Separating about 1500 fruitful olive trees belonging to Qasa citizens behind the Wall.

Legal action

The Khirbet citizens presented a case to the Israeli legal advisor at Beit Eil through the office of the Palestinian Land Defense Committees in Hebron city. Yet, no tangible result has been achieved on this file.

( Photo 9: A sheep pen in Khirbet Qasa) 

Idhna town

Located 13 km to the west of Hebron city. By the end of this year Its population number will reach 22000, the majority of whom work in agriculture. Before the war of 1948 it had the total area of 36000 dunums of which 14000 dunums were confiscated and annexed by Israel (38% of the total area). Out of the remaining 22000 dunums, 4208 dunums (19%) are built up area and 4000 dunums (18% ) were destroyed under or separated behind the path of the Segregation Wall including Khirbet Qasa). 

Prepared by
The Land Research Center – Jerusalem
LRC