Stop-work Orders for Commercial Structures in 'Arraba

Violation: stop-work orders.

Date: May 16, 2012.

Location: ‘Arraba – Jenin.

Perpetrators: the so-called Inspection Subcommittee – the Israeli Occupation Civil Administration.

Victims: Salama, Ahmad, and Hamdan families.

Details:

‘Arrab was hit by a wave of an Israeli oppression aiming to deprive the locals from their universally accepted rights. On May 16, 2012, an Israeli force accompanied by officers of the so-called Civil Administration broke into ‘Arraba and handed 3 Palestinians stop-work orders for their commercial structures justified by failing to acquire a construction permit in an area classified ‘C’ according to Oslo Accords. The orders set June 15, 2012, as the date of the hearing session to be held at Beit El Military Court to decide on the fate of the structures.

Table 1: endangered structures:

Victim	Family members	children	Structure	Area (m²)	pictures
Mohammad Salama	11	5	Al Bara’ Feul Station	1400	1+ 2
Usama Ahmad	7	5	Carwash	200	3
Zyad Hamdan	9	4	Kitchenware shop	80	4
total	27	14		1680

*source: Field Observations – Monitoring Israeli Human Rights Violations Team – LRC

It must be noted that a series of such orders had been distributed in previous months; in February, 2012, the Israeli Occupation Civil Administration handed several residents similar orders; these were:

Table 2: victims of the first wave of orders:

Victim	Family members	Children	Structure	Area (m²)	pictures
Kamel Talawla	9	4	butchery	60	5
Omar al Sadeq Mosque			mosque	380	6
Agricultural Research Center			Research center	4000	7
Jamal abu Hantash	5	2	Nursery	30	8
Muti al Badawi	7	4	Toolshed	30	9
Rushdi Hamdan	8	3	Grocery store and a restaurant	46	10
Abdul Nasser Huwaitari	4	2	residence	100
Total	33	15		4646

*source: Field Observations – Monitoring Israeli Human Rights Violations Team – LRC

‘Arraba is located 13 km to the south west of Jenin; its total area is 45,000 dunums including 5,000 dunums included in the organizational plan, 35,000 dunums planted with grains and seasonal crops, 4,200 dunums planted with olives and prunes, while the rest are rangelands.

‘Arraba is inhabited by 10,700 people; 3,000 are refuges registered with the UNRWA. ‘Arraba, like any other Palestinian town or village, has been a target for Israeli colonization; 400 dunums of the village lands were confiscated for the establishment of Mivut Dotan colony. In addition, 80 dunums are classified as ‘prince lands’ rendering them inaccessible; also, 150 dunums are inaccessible for being the site of a former military base.

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC