“For the Interest of the Israeli Inflated Settlement Enterprise”
Israel Threatened to eradicate entire Palestinian Bedouin Communities

The Occupation State of Israel is escalating its aggressions against the Palestinian residents in the West Bank where within few days the Israeli Occupation Army handed over demolition and evacuation orders to three Palestinian communities under the pretext of lacking proper authorization.

1- Arab Al- Fuheidat East of ‘Anata Town

The long-term suffering of Arab Al-Fuheidat started in 1978 when the Israeli Occupation decided to build one of the largest military bases in the West Bank (‘Anatot) on ‘Anita’s town lands and specifically on Arab Al-Fuheidat resident’s lands east of the ‘Anata, where the Israeli Army confiscated about 1200 dunums from the community lands to build the aforementioned military base which located few tens of meters away from Arab Al-Fuheidat houses.

On the year 1999, Arab Al-Fuheidat community was with a date of a new confiscation when the Israeli authorities confiscated 18 dunums from their lands to build the bypass road # 437 where it physically separated Arab Al-Fuheidat from the rest parts of ‘Anata village while the only access to the area became through an underground tunnel and an iron gate that strictly controlled by the Israeli Army and security forces.

Later on and on the year 2002 Israel started to implement its Separation plan in the West Bank by building the Segregation Wall , and again ‘Arab Al-Fuheidat had paid another price when the Israeli Army confiscated another 6 dunums from their lands to build the Segregation Wall in the area (military order # (20/07/T)).

Today, what remains for Arab Al-Fuheidat community are only 34 dunums strangulated from its three sides by ‘Anatot military base.

 On January 29, 2013, officers from what is so-called “Israeli Civil Administration” accompanied with Israeli Army forces stationed in Arab Al-Fuheidat community and handed over the resident military demolition orders for their structures under the pretext of lacking building permits.

The residents of the community and in an interview with ARIJ field workers indicated that they are facing unbearable life conditions where they strangulated by the military base from three sides their access/exist from the community through a tunnel and a gate. They also added that all parts of their community surrounded by Israeli security cameras and any steps forward around their houses the Israeli Army usually storming the community asking them not to move near the military base.

Mr. Hajjaj Al-Fuheidat said: we live here before the Israeli Occupation and our houses were built before the year 1967 …….. we can’t build even on what remain form our lands ………..hundreds of dunums from our lands were confiscated for several pretexts……. All of our structures were built as annexation to our old houses and it seems like this is not satisfying the Occupation yet ……. They seeking to kick us out from our own land………… We are living hear before the Israeli Occupation and we will stay here no matter whets happened. Table 1 below show the details of the threatened houses in Arab Al-Fuheidat community east of ‘Anata town:

Photos of Arab Al-Fuheidat community- ‘Anata:

Photocopies of part of the military demolition orders that targeted Arab Al-Fuheidat

It is worth mentioning that the Israeli campaign against the Palestinian Bedouin communities in the West Bank is part of an Israeli colonial and expansionist plan declared in the year 2011 and stated to took place on the ground during the year 2012, and according to this plan the Israeli Occupation will evacuate all of the Bedouin communities located around the eastern part of the city of Jerusalem (located between Ma’aleh Adumim settlement bloc and Wadi Mousa) but the Palestinian resident of these communities submitted an appeals to the Israeli courts against this decision where the Israeli long term goals behind the evacuation of the Bedouin communities is not only for the interest of the security of the Israeli settlers in the nearby settlements as the Israeli authorities claimed, but it also would pave the way to annex these lands to the future expansion of these settlements on the expense of the Palestinian legitimate owners of these lands.

Arab Al-Fuheidat…….General Glance

Arab Al-Fuheidat community located east of the town of ‘Anata which is located north east of the city of Jerusalem. The total residents of the community exceed 70 (36 children). Al-Fuheidat community along with ‘Anata town trapped within an enclave by the Israeli Segregation Wall where it is bordered by ‘Anatot military base from three sides,   the Israeli bypass road # 437 from the north, and ‘Anata village from the west.

2- Arab A-l Ka’abneh Bedouin Community- Jaba’

On January 24, 2013 the Israeli Occupation Army stormed Arab Al-Ka’abneh Palestinian Bedouin community southeast of Jaba’ village south of Ramallah Governorate and handed over the residents military demolition orders for their structures under the pretext of lacking building permits. Few days later and on February 5, 2013, the Israeli Army stormed Arab Al-Ka’abneh community for the second time and handed over the residents a final evacuation order for the community in which they must dismantle their structures and evacuate the area within three weeks.

ARIJ fieldworkers interviewed the residents of Arab Al-Ka’abneh where they indicated that they are living in the area dozens of years ago and they have documents that prove their ownership to the lands. Moreover, the residents believe that the Israeli authorities are seeking to displace them from their own land to expand the adjacent illegal settlement of Geva’ Benjamin (Adam) which locates few meters away from their structures. Table 2 shows the details of the threatened structures in Arab Al-Ka’abneh community southeast of Jaba’ village:

Photos of the threatened structures in the area

Photocopy of the military demolition order handed over to Al-Ka’abneh residents

Map 1: Arab Al-Fuheidat & Al-Ka’abneh Threatened Communities

Arab Al-Ka’abneh is a Palestinian Bedouin community located southeast of Jaba’ village south of Ramallah Governorate. The community is inhabited by more than 100 residents (+ 50 children). The community is bordered by Jaba’ village as well as the illegal settlement of Sh’areh Benjamin from the north, the Segregation Wall from the south, Ar-Ram town from the west and Geva’ Benjamin settlement from the east.

3- Demolition orders in ‘Ein Ad-Dyouk Al-Fouka north of Jericho

On January 10, 2013, the Israeli Occupation Army stormed ‘Ein Ad-Dyouk Al-Fouka Bedouin community north of Jericho city and handed over the residents nine military demolition orders for 10 structures in the area under the pretext of lacking building permits. Table 3 shows the details of the threatened structures in the area:

Photocopies for some of the demolition orders handed over to ‘Ein Ad-Dyouk Al-Fouka residents
and some photos of the threatened structures

In an interview with ARIJ fieldworkers Sheikh Faysal Zayed the head of ‘Ein Ad-Dyouk Al-Fouka Bedouin community indicated that parts of the area that they living in are classified area A ( according to Oslo II interim Agreement signed in 1995 between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization- where these lands under the full control of the Palestinian Authority).

In a geopolitical analysis conducted by the Geo-Informatics Department at ARIJ, part of the targeted houses area actually located in area A, where Israel, and according to Oslo agreement, don’t have any authority in these areas including issuing military demolition orders. 

‘Ein Ad-Dyouk Al-Fouka is a Palestinian Bedouin community located on the northern entrance of Jericho Governorate. The community is populated by about 150 residents. It is bordered by an Israeli military base from the north, An-Nuei’ma Bedouin community from the south and the illegal settlement of No’amim from the east. See map 2 below:

Map 3: ‘Ein Ad-Dyouk Al-Fouka Bedouin community north of Jericho

Legal & International Status

Israel is moving forward with its colonial and expansionist project in the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Bedouin communities constitute a main obstacle for its project which is actually aims to eradicate these communities to implement the inflated settlement project plan on the land of these Palestinian communities, where the residents of these communities are facing alone their destiny with their catastrophic circumstances and potentials.

The Israeli seizing and razing of Palestinian-owned lands and destroying the Palestinian properties is Illegal and constitute a grave breach for the International law rules and conventions, some of which are listed below:

• Article 53 & 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 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.

• Moreover 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.

• Also under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Article 17 reads: 'No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.' Which means it bans Israel from destroying or confiscating the property of the Palestinians at any case.

• 'Article 12' of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 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.

• Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.

• In the year 2004 the United Nations Security Council called on Israel to stop demolition of Palestinian homes under Resolution No. 1544-(2004), the resolution states: 'The Security Council called on Israel to respect its obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly the obligation not to undertake home demolitions contrary to that law'.

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem