Israeli demolition activities in the village of Shuqba – Ramallah Governorate

Location & Population

To the northwest of Ramallah city, lies the Palestinian village of Shuqba and is 17 kilometers away from it. The village occupies a total land area of 13109 dunums, out of which 728 dunums are occupied by the built-up area which distances about 4 km away from the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line). The village is a home to 4,335 inhabitants according to the Palestinian Central Bureau od Statistics – 2006.

The Village 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, Al Shabtin Palestinian village from the south, and by the Palestinian village of Deir Abu Mash’al from the northeast.

Organized State Terrorism

On April 18, 2007, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stormed the village of Shuqba, and demolished a barracks; two rooms and an office, which exist as an attachment to a Palestinian Bricks factory.

Mr. Mahmoud Nakhleh, of the village council stated that four Israeli bulldozers protected by the Israeli Army started to demolish without any prior notification.

Mr. Maher Abdel Rahim Shlash, the owner of the factory stated that he did not receive any Israeli notification or military order, and that the Israeli Army prevented him from evacuating personal and other items from the installations before it was demolished. Mr. Maher’s loss has exceeded 40,000 NIS.

The Israeli Army did not stop at that but proceeded afterward to neighboring land that belong to Hassan Shihadeh Al Masri and confiscated two mobile trailors (caravans) and a scale worth of 60,000 NIS also without any pretext, explanation or prior notification.

It is worth mentioning that Shuqba village, like many other Palestinian villages, suffered and still suffering from the Israeli occupation. 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; and Shuqba village was one of them, in order to built the Segregation Wall. Another followed the first military order on July 4, 2004, holding # (26/04/T) to confiscate 121,4 dunums of Shuqba’s lands to build the Israeli Apartheid Wall. It is worth mentioning that the total length of the Israeli Segregation Wall path set to run across Shuqba village is 2,767 Km, and end up isolating approximately 1,124 Dunums (approximately 9%) of the village’s lands. See Map 1

The Recent Israeli Escalation

The Israeli daily news paper “Haaretz” revealed in March 31, 2007, that the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved a new plan to reroute the section of the Segregation Wall and increase its length by 12k north of the Modi'in Illit, the Illegal Israeli settlements bloc west of Ramallah governorate, about five Km from the 1949 Armistice Line (the Green Line).

The reroute of the Segregation Wall there came in response to an exerted pressure by the Israeli settlers on the Israeli government to include the two illegal Israeli settlements: Nili and Na’leh to the Modi'in Illit settlements bloc. The two Israeli settlements were not included within the Modi'in Illit settlements bloc and according to the Segregation Wall route approved by the Israeli government on April 30, 2006.

Trapped within an Enclave

The new Israeli Wall route will create new catastrophic conditions for many Palestinians in Shuqba village and other villages as well: Al Luban, Al Gharbi- Rantis – Qibya- Budrus- Ni'lin – Al Midya), these Palestinian villages 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 21,235Palestinian residents (seven Palestinian villages) will end up imprisoned in their villages. See map 2

To Conclude

The destruction of Palestinian homes, agricultural land and other property in the Occupied Territories, reflects Israel’s long-standing policy of appropriating as much as possible of the land it occupies, notably by constructing the illegal Israeli settlements and the Israeli Apartheid Segregation Wall.

Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel, as an occupying power, are prohibited from destroying the Palestinian properties.

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.
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.
Art. 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;