The Israeli Occupation Demolished Houses and Facilities in She’ab Al-Butum and Lasefar in Masafer Yatta / South Hebron

• Violation: Demolition of Houses and Facilities.
• Date: February 23^rd 2022.
• Location:  She’ab Al-Butum and Lasefar – Yatta / Hebron Governorate.
• Perpetrators: The Israeli Civil Administration.
• Victims: Citizens From Jebreen and Abu Qbaita families.

Description:

Wednesday, February 23^rd 2022, The Israeli Occupation Authorities demolished citizens houses and facilities inn She’ab Al-Butum and Lasifar , east Yatta south Hebron, on the pretext of building without a license.

Demolition in She’ab Al-Butum:

About 10:00 am , a massive army force, border guards , the building and organization department at the civil administration , accompanied by two bulldozers (CAT) and (JCB) , and workers related to an Israeli company , the occupation forces spread around citizens houses and implemented the demolition.

Photos 1-3: Demolition in She’ab Al-Butum

The Forces emptied the structures and carried out the demolition, the targeted houses belong to:

• A House belongs to citizen Othman Jebreen: built since 2016 of stones, plastic sheets and small tires , the house has a total area of (25 m²), the owner has a plot with a total area of 5 dunums planted with olives and almonds. Citizen Jebreen supports a family of 6, among them 3 females, his loss amounted to (10 thousand shekels).

Photos 4: The remains of the demolished room

• A House of citizen Yousif Jebreen : built of bricks and stones and cement , built since 2016 with a total area of (30 m²) , used by a family of 9 among them (6 children and 3 females) , the affected citizen owns a plot with a total area of (6 dunums) planted with olives and almonds.

The Occupation forces demolished the house on its furniture inside , and ravaged an olive tree nearby , they also destroyed solar panels that used to provide the house with power.

Photos 5-8: Remains of citizen Yousif Jabareen house

• House of Citizen Mohammed Jebreen: built of stones and cement with steal sheets since2016 , used as a home for a family of (9 members) among them (4 children and 3 females). The house has a total area of (35 m²) , the owner has a plot with a total area od 3 dunums planted with olives and winter crops.

Photos 9-11 : Remains of citizen Mohammed Jabareen house

• House of citizen Khalid Jebreen: built of bricks and stones since 2016 , with a total area of (25 m²) , that he used to live at with his family of (6 members among them 2 children ) while he works at the plot , it was clear that the occupation demolished everything inside it.

Photos 12: House of citizen Khalid Jebreen

The Affected Citizen Othman Jabreen (58 years) said that the occupation authorities notified the houses in August 4^th 2020 , The Occupation issued halt of work notices on the pretext of building without a license , and filed it to the occupation authorities , which refused to provide them with licenses , and issued demolition notices . The Lawyer of the case filed an objection on the demolition , the objection was refused in February 22^nd 2022. However, the structures were demolished the next day.

Jebreen said that they built in their lands even that they are threatened form the occupation , Avijal colony is illegally built on She’ab Al-Butum lands , and its growing rapidly on their lands, and this is the only way to protect it.

Khirbet She’ab Al-Butum:

Khirbet She’ab Al-Butum is located in Masafer Yatta, bordered by Khallet Ad-Dabe’a (east), bypass 317 (west), Al-Qawawis and Al-Karmel (north + south) , the Khirbet has an area of 110 dunums , and inhabited by 9 families that compose of 81 people , 37 of them are children, their homes are 7 tents , 3 barracks and a caravan, Residents of the Khirbet depend mainly on herding for living , the Khirbet consists of  443 cattle heads, 82 agricultural dunums , of which trees only cover 10 dunums and the rest are postures.

Demolition in Lasifar village:

After the occupation forces completed the demolition in She’ab Al-Butum village , they headed to Lasefar village behind the Annexation and Expansion wall , and arrived at Abu Qbaitah family facilities in their land , behind the Annexation and Expansion Wall.

Photos 13-15: The Demolition operation in Lasefir – Photos taken by the owners

The Occupation demolished structures used as barns , and stores for feeds without and prior notices, and they are hereafter listed:

Noteworthy, Citizens from Abu Qbaita family are still living in their lands behind the Annexation and Expansion Wall that surrounds “Metzadot Yehuda / Beit Yatir” , and pass through a military checkpoint or a passing point at the wall through special permits issued by the occupation authorities.

The Occupation targeted the village with demolition orders in most of its buildings , and banned construction materials at the village , in order to force citizen to evict their village and take over it for future colonial expansion.