New military resolution about building in area “C”

• Violation: new military resolution against Palestinian buildings.
• Location: area "C" in West Bank.
• Date: April 7, 2018.
• Perpetrators: "central inspecting unit" The occupation's civil administration.
• Victim: Palestinian citizens in area "C".

Description:

The so called "central inspecting unit" issued a new military resolution ,signed by military forces commander , that calls for destroying all Palestinian residents in area "C " (as classified in Oslo convention[1]) , and prohibit building any new ones, The "central inspecting unit" give themselves the power to destroy any construction built on the ground , and on the identification of" construction" they referred to Jordanian building and organizing law 1966, which considers "any construction over the ground including buildings , farms, water cisterns .. Etc"

The new resolution will be effective in June 16, and includes clearing out all new buildings that were built within 6 months, buildings under construction, and inhabited buildings in the recent 30 days. The "central inspecting unit" will demolish any of the mentioned construction within 96 hours without referring to any legal authority.

The Israeli occupation claim that the threatened construction are unorganized and unpermitted, but also claim that  affected Palestinians are allowed to file objections in the Israeli legal authorities.

Abdullah Hammad (field monitor in Al-Quds center for legal help) told LRC observer:

 "filing an objection will not protect the construction from demolition, Palestinians cannot provide the necessary documents to stop the demolition, Israeli occupation refuse to give permissions for Palestinians, since 1967 only few citizens managed to get permissions in area C, which lead Palestinians to build in the area without getting permissions, as it is the only land they have and inherited from their grandfathers. It is one of their basic rights to be secured in their own properties"

Hamza Zbidat an activist in the Jordan Valley area told LRC observer:

"The new military resolution aims to bring pressure on Palestinians, in the time the Israelis continue to confiscate Palestinian lands and demolish their homes, this new resolution provide additional pretexts to the occupation to forcedly transfer people who live in subjected areas, and gives them the chance to carry out their plan to forcedly transfer Palestinians who live in the Jordan valley area and near the apartheid wall."

It is noteworthy that the built up area in most Palestinian villages are in area "B" and any expanding will reach area "C", The occupation's (civil administration) gave themselves the power to grant permissions for such expanding, but they never actually do, which lead hundreds of Palestinian families to build in area "C" without permissions as it is the only space they have for building. Consequently, exposing them to Israeli assaults.

The Battle for Area [C]

The Oslo Accords are a set of agreements between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in a peace process that aims at reaching a ‘peace-treaty’. The Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington D.C., U.S.A. on September 13, 1993 after secret negotiations in Oslo, resulted in mutual recognition between the PLO and the present-day Israel.

Area C was first delineated in the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self Government Arrangements, otherwise known as the Oslo I agreement, which divided West Bank territory into four separate areas (A, B, C, and nature reserve) put under different jurisdictions. Within these parcels of land, the Palestinian and Israeli authorities have different levels of control. The aim was that responsibilities and powers would gradually be transferred to the Palestinian Authority over time. This has not happened yet.

Area A is under the administrative and security control of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and constitutes 17.7% of Palestine while area B comprises most Palestinian rural communities and is under Palestinian administrative and joint Palestinian-Israeli security control and is 18.4% of Palestine.

Area C is under complete Israeli administrative and military control, and comprises all Israeli colonies – including roads, buffer zones, and other infrastructure – and Israeli military training areas. Area C covers more than 60.9% of the Palestinian territory. Lastly, the nature reserve constitutes 3% of Palestine and is under the administrative control of the PA but it is not allowed to be used, managed, or developed by Palestinians. The Israeli occupation exercises security control over it.

The division into three areas of control was meant as a temporary, 5 – year transitional stage on the way to a final agreement where [powers and responsibilities related to the sphere of Planning and Zoning will be transferred gradually to Palestinian jurisdiction] by 1999. But this transfer of powers has yet to be implemented. Instead, area C has turned into a repository for colonization as it contains Israeli colonies as well as many Israeli military bases. The Israeli political and security establishment, as well as the legal system, view Area C – spreading over most of the West Bank – as an integral part of Israel and take over-all natural resources of the area. 

At the same time, Palestinians living in Area C are severely limited in their movements and are subject to a host of restrictions on planning, building and accessing services and the area’s natural resources. Besides, their lands are confiscated, trees uprooted, infrastructure destroyed and structures as well as houses are threatened of being demolished if not already so. 

By contrast, Israeli colonies, illegal under international law, have been set up on hilltops throughout the West Bank and are expanding at a rapid pace. They also enjoy various facilities, wide roads, parks, pools, electricity grids and water supply at the expense of Palestinians and their lands.