The Israeli Occupation Demolishes 30 Residential and Agricultural Structures in Khirbit Tana

Violation: Demolishing residential and agricultural structures in Khirbit Tana.

Date: January 10, 2010.

Violators: the Israeli Occupation Army.

Victims: farmers from Khirbit Tana.

Khirbit Tana, an Overview:

People in Khirbit Tana live a very simple life; they live in primitive houses built out of very simple materials including lumber, metal plates, stone, and mud. Furthermore, some of them live in tents or still living in caves. They have settled on the mountains and valleys of the Jordan Valley for a long time.

The life in Khirbit Tana is so primeval; there is neither electricity nor a water network. Certainly, there isn’t any telecommunication or cellular communication networks available in the area.

These farmers inherited the lands for generations. They have been exploiting it and using it for cultivation and cattle rising despite the hard conditions and the lack of water. However, the Israeli Occupation Army has been attempting to strangle the people living in the Jordan Valley since the occupation of the West Bank in 1967. The Occupation Army expropriated their lands, killed their cattle, took over their water sources, etc. They have been trying to turn them from landlords to intruders who illegally live there while colonists living in the nearby colony of Mekhora receive different kinds of privileges on the account of the locals.

Khirbit Tana is located 14 km to the east of Nablus City in the West Bank. 50 families that consist of more than 300 people live in the area. They totally depend on farming and grazing for their living.

Details:

At around 8:00 AM on January 10, 2009, the Israeli Occupation Army bulldozers demolished 30 residential and agricultural structures in the village without any prior warning. The decision was based upon the Israeli Occupation Supreme Court decision which was issued on December 26, 2009. The Court ordered the demolition of the structures in compliance with the Israeli Occupation Army recommendations.

Table 1: General information on the demolished structures:

Pictures 2-6: part of the demolition campaign

The reconstruction of the structures demolished took place in 2005 as part of a project funded by the 'Friendship Society' after leveling Khirbit Tana in July, 2005.  The demolish campaign was held under the usual 'no permits' pretext. The Israeli Authorities issued demolishing orders against all the structures in the village in 2007. In 2009, the Israeli Occupation Supreme Court ruled that Khirbit Tana is not recognized as a residential area and that all the structures there are illegally built. Eventually, the village was leveled for the second time this year.

Effects of the demolishing campaign:

1.     Destruction of 30 structures with a total area of 1183 m2.

2.     50 people, including 30 children, have become homeless.

3.     More than 20 children were deprived from their right to education in proper conditions.

4.     10s of animals were left without shelter.

5.     Destruction of the only Society in the village.

Leaving is not an option regardless of the Israeli Occupation actions and harassments:

An LRC field researcher interviewed Mr. Wasef Hanani (61) who replied with grief: 'It is not the first time they destroy my house.  We've been set as a target since the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank in 1967. My house was demolished twice; I even lived in the caves before I was able to construct another one. Regardless, we will never leave our homes even if they incarcerated us. There is no other place for us'.

Picture 7: Hanani standing on his house ruins 

'I have deeds to prove ownership of the land. The deeds are more than hundred years old and they were issued during the Ottoman regime. However, the Israeli Occupation Army describes the area as a 'military zone'. I am telling you, we will never leave even if they capture us; our only source of income is our cattle and grazing needs wide landscape. So, if we leave, we'll starve to death. I always told them when they showed up in the area, you destroy and we will build'. He added.

Picture 8: A Sheep Cattle being left without shelter

LRC is concerned that these demolishing are made prior to demolishing of 1060 houses in the West Bank and the Occupied City of Jerusalem that received demolish orders during 2009. The justification of the Occupation Authorities acts is always the same, 'no permits'. Nevertheless, receiving a construction permit in an area classified 'C' according to Oslo Agreement is almost impossible. Palestinians build their houses regardless of the Israeli Occupation decisions because they believe in their right to residency, a right guaranteed by all the international laws and human rights organization.

Treating areas classified 'C' according to Oslo Accords as part of the 'Jewish State' and applying the so-called state civil laws in these areas is outrageous and is made against the entire International decisions which consider the West Bank, including the Occupied City of Jerusalem, Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC