On September 18, 2014 the Israeli Occupation Army handed over local residents of Kisan village southeast of Bethlehem Governorate five military demolition orders for their houses under the pretext of lacking building permits due to their location in the area classified as "C" , according to OSLO II interim agreement of 1995. The first targeted house is owned by the local residents Nader ‘Ali Youseph ‘Ebayyat ( 7 family members) and was built in the year 2012 ,occupying an area of 80 m2 . The military order holding number 160482. See photocopy of the demolition order and pictures of the house below:
The second house is owned by HasanYouseph Issa ‘Ebayyat (14 family members) and was built in the year 2010 on an area of 120 m2. The house was targeted by the military order number 160481.
The third house is owned by Diab Hasan Hussein ‘Ebayyat ( 4 family members). The (50 m2) -house was built 8 years ago and was targeted with the military order No. 160479.
The fourth targeted house is owned by Mahmud Hussein Abdullah ‘Ebayyat ( 10 family members). It was built in the year 2010 on a total land area of 60 m2 and was targeted by the military order No. 160480.
The fifth threatened house is owned by Abdel Hadi ‘Ali Hussein ‘Ebayyat (9 family members). The owner of the 70 m2 – house started to build the house only one month ago before he received the demolition order No. 160483.
Kisan is a Palestinian village located southeast of Bethlehem Governorate. The village is bordered by Toque’ and Al-Menia village from the south, Ibei Nahal illegal settlement from the south, Umm Buttum village from the west and the illegal Israeli settlement of Ma’aleh ‘Amos from the southeast. The village total population is 528 residents (PCBS 2013 projections).
To Conclude
The Israeli targeting and demolishing of the Palestinian houses are illegal and contradicts with International law rules and conventions:-
- Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva 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 provides: 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 12' of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and 'Article 13' of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads:
- Article 12: Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.
Map 1: the threatened houses in Kisan village
Prepared by:
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem