Israeli Occupation Forces notify four agricultural pools of demolition in Beit Ummar town

• Violation: demolition orders on water pools
• Location:  Beit Ummar town- Hebron
• Date:  May 18, 2016
• Perpetrators: Israeli Occupation Forces and Civil Administration
• Victims: farmers from the town

Details:

The Israeli occupation authorities notified on May 18, 2016 four agricultural pools of demolition in the Hebron town of Beit Ummar on the claim of "Unlicensed Construction".

Famers affirmed that a staff from Israel Civil Administration raided the area of Wad Al-Arab, east Beit Ummar and hanged the orders on the pools.

The  orders stated a halt on all construction works and gave a seven day deadline to demolish the pools by their owners. If not compelled to the order, Israeli Occupation Forces will carry out the demolition after the deadline is over.

It should be marked that Israeli Occupation Forces served on January 05, 2016 stop-work orders on the pools. The orders, at time, assigned January 21, 2016 as a hearing session for the Planning and Construction Committee- Israel Civil Administration in the Israeli Court of Beit El colony to consider the legal status of the notified structures.

Owners of the pools, at time, prepared the legal file to object to the order and applied for a license but Israeli occupation authorities never granted one for them.

It is reported that the pools are constructed above the ground with a volume of 400m3 (for each) to collect water that will be later used for agricultural ends. The project of pools was implemented by Union of Agricultural Work Committee UAWC and Palestinian Hydrology Group. The following table shows information about the affected owners and structures:

Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-2106
 

Note that Land Research Center prepared a report regarding the serving of stop-work orders on the pool( LINK)

It should be marked that the town of Beit Ummar has been lately targeted by the occupation through enforcing closures and a fence at its entrance to hinder residents' movement. Not only, residents themselves in addition to structures are targeted .

About Beit Ummar:

It is located 12 km to Hebron city. The village's total area is 21,285 dunums, of which 1,375 dunums are considered the built-up area; around 13, 548 people inhabit Beit Ummar.

The Israeli occupation authorities confiscated 560 dunums from Beit Ummar for the favor of the bypass road no.60.  The occupation also confiscated 1,216 dunums for the favor of the following colonies:

Source: Geographic Information System- Monitoring Israeli Violations Team- Land Research Center

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

1. 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.”
2. 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.”
3. 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.”
4. 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."

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC