Stop-work orders on residential structures in Tubas governorate

• Violation: serving stop-work orders
• Location:  Al-Aqaba village- Tubas governorate
• Date:  May 05, 2016
• Perpetrators: Planning and Construction Committee- Israel Civil Administration
• Victims:  five Palestinian families (32 members including 17 children)

Details:

The so-called Planning and Construction Committee- Israel Civil Administration served on May 05, 2016 stop-work orders on the residences of five families on the claim of unlicensed construction in the Tubas village of Aqraba. The orders gave the affected a deadline until May 30 to complete all licensing procedures. This comes in time with the hearing session of the Inspection Sub-Committee  in the Israeli Court of Beit El colony to consider the legal status of the notifies structures.

It should be marked that the area of AL-Aqaba has been targeted by Israeli Occupation Forces to force people out of their lands for the sake and favor of colonial expansionist plans in the area. The following table shows information about the affected people and property:

Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-2016

Merciless and non-stop targeting:

The chairman of Aqraba village council, Hajj Sami, told Land Research Center the following: " In 2003, the occupation demolished two agricultural barracks in the village where it demolished  seven residences, water pool for agricultural and drinking needs and an electricity grid in 200. Later in 2011, two streets ( Al-Salam and Al- Muhajreen) and two agricultural barracks were demolished by the occupation forces. On September 2011,  the aforementioned streets were demolished again alongside with two agricultural barracks and a house. In 2014, a residence and six barns were demolished in AL-Aqaba village. Such attacks and violations on the village proves the occupation's intent to evict Palestinians to create a de facto that will hard to be dealt with in any negotiations.

About al-Aqaba:      

Al Aqaba village is located 5 km away from the north eastern part of Tubas city. Al Aqaba has an area of 2600 dunums, 100 of which are devoted for construction and development. The rest of the area- that is 2500 dunums- are agricultural lands , 2000 dunums of which were confiscated by the Israeli troops for military purposes. The Local economy of Al Aqaba village depends on the harvest income since the village is regarded as an agricultural area that  80% of its residents rely on the agricultural GDP in supplying their daily life needs. It should be mentioned that the growth of Al Aqaba village has been limited in terms of the economic development where there is but one store which supplies the needs of the 300 inhabitants.

Land Research Center LRC sees that demolitions contradict with all the International conventions and Humanitarian laws including:

• Article 17 of the (1948) Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating: “Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”
• Section ‹G› of article 23 of the (1907) The Hague Conventions asserting: “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.”
• Article 53 of the Geneva Fourth Convention (1948) declaring: “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.”
• Section 1, Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966): “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent."

Land Research Center documented a number of assaults and violations Al-Aqaba witnessed during 2014:

• Stop work orders on residential astructures in al-Aqaba (Ar, Eng)
• Demolishing a number of agricultural and residential structures (Ar, Eng)
• Demolishing three agricultural rooms in al-Aqaba (Ar, Eng)
• Stop work orders on four structures in al-Aqaba (Ar, Eng)

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC