|
August 6th, 2007
As a continuation of the policy of displacement and replacement, the
Israel occupation authorities (IOA) have maintained the pace of
demolishing Palestinian houses in occupied Jerusalem for several
reasons, the most prominent of which is 'security' or the ' lack of
licensing'. By so doing, the IOA have violated article 53 of fourth
Geneva convention which states that 'any destruction by the occupying
power of real or personal property belonging individually or
collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public
authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited,
except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by
military operations'.
During the first half of 2007, the total of 67 housing units were
demolished in Jerusalem under the pretext of un-licensing. This figure
is double the one for the same period of last year -33 houses - and
equals the one for whole year of 2006 - 68 houses:
Table
1: House demolition comparison by month and year
|
Month |
Year 2006
No. of demolished units |
Year 2007
No. of demolished units |
|
January |
11 |
24 |
|
February |
6 |
15 |
|
March |
7 |
7 |
|
April |
2 |
1 |
|
May |
4 |
12 |
|
June |
3 |
8 |
|
Total |
33 |
67 |
Source: Field work by LRC
|
Table 2: House demolition
in Jerusalem during the first six months of 2007 by name of
owner, date of demolition, location, area, No. of housing
units and No. of family member |
|
No. |
Owner's name |
Demolition date
|
Location |
Area in M2 |
No. |
No. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Housing unit |
Room |
Fam.mem |
|
1 |
Muluk Kazem Abdullah |
15/01/2007 |
At Tur |
130 |
1 |
6 |
12 |
|
2 |
Mohammed Nu'man Abasi |
16/01/2007 |
Silwan |
153 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
|
3 |
Basem Seyam |
16/01/2007 |
Athuri |
300 |
2 |
7 |
5 |
|
4 |
Inshirah Abdul Min'im Ar Razim |
21/01/2007 |
Wadi Qadum |
200 |
2 |
10 |
5 |
|
5 |
Hani Mohammed Saleh |
21/01/2007 |
Um Al Lahm |
150 |
1 |
6 |
7 |
|
6 |
Mohammed Hammad A'mas |
22/01/2007 |
Sur Baher |
1500 |
8 |
32 |
31 |
|
7 |
Jamal at Tawil |
23/01/2007 |
Asawahra Asharqiya |
60 |
1 |
3 |
9 |
|
8 |
Amer Abu Diyab |
23/01/2007 |
Jabel Al Mukaber |
60 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
|
9 |
Abu Zahriya |
28/01/2007 |
Beit Hanina |
NA |
1 |
NA |
NA |
|
10 |
Majed Isa Barakat |
29/01/2007 |
Neve Samuel |
40 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
|
11 |
Na'im and Khalil Tamiza |
30/01/2007 |
Izariya |
100 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
|
12 |
Ghadir Khalil Abu Ghaliya |
30/01/2007 |
Aza'yyem |
75 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
|
13 |
Nayef Ashuweiki |
30/01/2007 |
Beit Hanina |
NA |
1 |
NA |
NA |
|
14 |
Mohammed Ahmad Al Hirsh |
30/01/2007 |
Izariya |
300 |
2 |
14 |
26 |
|
|
Total- January
-2007 |
3068 |
24 |
95 |
125 |
|
15 |
Omer Mohammed Sariy'a |
26/02/2007 |
Izariya |
100 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
|
16 |
Ibrahim Musa 'Anati |
28/02/2007 |
At Tur |
720 |
12 |
36 |
30 |
|
17 |
Hani Salim as Sayyad |
28/02/2007 |
At Tur |
60 |
2 |
8 |
8 |
|
|
Total-
February -2007 |
880 |
15 |
48 |
45 |
|
18 |
Ali Isma'il Abu Sarhan |
14/03/2007 |
Sur Baher |
100 |
1 |
5 |
11 |
|
19 |
Musa Shehada 'Attun |
14/03/2007 |
Sur Baher |
650 |
4 |
32 |
30 |
|
20 |
Su'ad Mohammed Shanak |
19/03/2007 |
Sheikh Jarrah |
150 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
|
21 |
Samira Lot Salayma |
28/03/2007 |
Silwan |
60 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
|
|
Total
-March-2007 |
960 |
7 |
46 |
56 |
|
22 |
Nawaf Shalalda |
24/04/2007 |
At Tur |
100 |
1 |
5 |
8 |
|
|
Total- April-
2007 |
100 |
1 |
5 |
8 |
|
23 |
Daood Ali Naser |
7/5/2007 |
Esaweyyah |
350 |
2 |
10 |
11 |
|
24 |
Hani Hasan Tutah |
7/5/2007 |
Wadi Al Juz |
80 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
|
25 |
Khalaf Salim Al Bakhit |
20/05/2007 |
Sur Baher |
60 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
|
26 |
Mohammed Khalaf Al Bakhit |
20/05/2007 |
Sur Baher |
60 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
|
27 |
Salim Khalaf Al Bakhit |
20/05/2007 |
Sur Baher |
60 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
|
28 |
Ayman Musa Hammad |
20/05/2007 |
Sur Baher |
80 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
|
29 |
Siham Mahmud Jaber |
20/05/2007 |
Sur Baher |
80 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
|
30 |
Husam Ali Sulieman |
27/05/2007 |
Beit Safafa |
100 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
31 |
Ali Mahmud 'Iliayn |
28/05/2007 |
Beit Safafa |
100 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
|
32 |
Zaynab Ibrahim Kabaja |
28/05/2007 |
Old city |
40 |
1 |
2 |
12 |
|
33 |
Abdul Karim Mish'al |
28/05/2007 |
Sharafat |
110 |
1 |
5 |
12 |
|
|
Total- May
2007 |
1120 |
12 |
48 |
64 |
|
34 |
Ali Mhammed Musa Jum'a |
11/6/2007 |
Jabel Al Mukaber |
100 |
1 |
4 |
10 |
|
35 |
Jamil Ahmad Shuqirat |
11/6/2007 |
Asawahra Asharqiya |
60 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
|
36 |
Yusif Al Mu'aqat |
19/06/2007 |
At Tur |
112 |
1 |
4 |
30 |
|
37 |
Ayman Al Mu'aqat |
19/06/2007 |
At Tur |
112 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
|
38 |
Emad Al Mu'aqat |
19/06/2007 |
At Tur |
112 |
1 |
4 |
10 |
|
39 |
Anan Al Mu'aqat |
19/06/2007 |
At Tur |
112 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
|
40 |
Adnan Al Mu'aqat |
19/06/2007 |
At Tur |
112 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
|
41 |
Othmana Emran Yasini |
19/06/2007 |
Silwan |
100 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
|
|
Total- June-
2007 |
820 |
8 |
30 |
69 |
|
|
Over all Total |
6948 |
67 |
272 |
367 |
Source: Field work by LRC
In addition, from 1967 until the end of 1996, the Israeli occupation
authorities demolished at least 2500 house in Jerusalem, and from the
beginning of 1997 until the end of last June, 863 house were
demolished, See table 3.
Table 3: Demolition, closure and seizure of Palestinian houses and other
structures
by year under the pretext of un-licensing and security Jerusalem
governorate
|
Year |
# of house
demolished |
# of other
structures demolished |
# of tent
demolished |
# of House
closed |
# of house
seized |
Eviction under
the pretext of being old |
Total |
No. of
affected people |
|
|
1997 |
27 |
56 |
58 |
-- |
4 |
0 |
145 |
NA |
|
|
1998 |
31 |
-- |
-- |
1 |
1 |
0 |
33 |
NA |
|
|
1999 |
39 |
-- |
17 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
64 |
NA |
|
|
2000 |
33 |
1 |
45 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
83 |
200 |
|
|
2001 |
78 |
9 |
-- |
2 |
1 |
0 |
90 |
500 |
|
|
2002 |
78 |
12 |
-- |
10 |
-- |
0 |
98 |
509 |
|
|
2003 |
147 |
10 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
11 |
178 |
996 |
|
|
2004 |
175 |
50 |
0 |
1 |
34 |
0 |
260 |
631 |
|
|
2005 |
120 |
25 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
145 |
481 |
|
|
2006 |
68 |
33 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
10 |
111 |
540 |
|
|
2007 (Until the
end of June) |
67 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
67 |
367 |
|
| |
|
Total |
863 |
196 |
120 |
21 |
55 |
21 |
1274 |
4224 |
|
Source: LRC data base
Victims talk:
- Bir
Al-Wa'er, Esaweyyah: On 8/5/2007, Israeli municipality staff demolished
at 08:30 a.m. two apartments with a total surface area of 350 m2
owned by Dawod Ali Hussein Naser, 54 year old, without prior notice. In
an interview with LRC field worker, Mr. Naser stated: 'I constructed
those apartments back in 2005, one to accommodate my own family (11
members including 8 children), and the other to dwell my son who was
about to get married. My dream to see my son in his own house was faded,
even before it starts.
On August 20th 2005, I received a demolition notice from the
municipality, the house was ready then, so I retained the advocate
Hussein Ghanayyem in order to follow up my case, and I paid him 6000$.
When my family settled at the house, the municipality and police came to
photograph it. The case was in court for almost two years until the
house was knocked down on May 8th, 2007.
During the demolition process a huge Israeli army force border guard
police were in presence. They closed the whole area and bulldozers
started to run over. Israeli soldiers intently provoked residents who
objected the demolition. Most of my family members were brutally
treated by soldiers as followed:
1.
Ali, 24 years old, hit with batons all
over his body;
2.
Muhammad, 20 years old, strangled and
beaten with guns;
3.
Ahmad, 16 years old, hit with batons and
fists.
4.
Salam, 14 years old, hit with fists.
5.
My wife Maha, 40 years old, beaten when
tried to protect her childen, and was hospitalized at
Hadasah medical center.
My 4 sons were also arrested and their detention orders extended. Our
house was destroyed, we were assaulted, and the most distressing thing
is that Israelis do not want us to say one single word'.
- Wadi Al-Joz: On 8/5/2007 Israeli bulldozers
demolished at 06:00 a.m. a residential building belonging to Hani Hasan
Totah in Wadi Al-Joz for not having a license.
Totah's wife told LRC's field worker: 'we built our house in 1990, but
the municipality destroyed it on 22/11/2005. Our need for a house was un
avoidable despite the impossibility of getting a construction license
from the Israeli occupation. Therefore, we decided to rebuild it without
getting a license, but the Israelis arrived in November 2006 while
construction was in process, and ordered us to stop, but we went on. One
year later, the family moved to settle the house, however, when the
municipality insisted on demolishing it, we donated the house to An
Nujom ( Stars) Association for the handicapped, hoping that, by so
doing, it will leave Israelis away. Nevertheless, the Israeli occupation
soldiers attacked the quarter in the early morning, evacuated the
handicapped, and a bulldozer made the whole building disappear, and
soldiers hit my husband's nephew on the face and arrested him'.
According to LRC's reliable sources and reports, the municipality of
occupied Jerusalem is planning to construct a big shopping mall and a
hotel of a six storey hotel in that particular.
- Za'alokah mountain, Sur Baher:
On 20/5/200 Israeli municipality tore down a building belonging to
Khalaf Salim Bakheit, 78 years old. This building was barely enough
for him and his two sons, Mohammad and Salim, who were about to
get married and live in their father's building.
Bakheit said to LRC field worker: 'I have submitted an
application for building license, but the municipality instantly
refused. I wanted to see my sons getting married, and we were 8 members
in two rooms, so I decided to start building no matter what ever it
takes. I received a demolition notice the day the house ceiling was
completed. Then, I went to the municipal court which delayed the
demolition several times until it got destroyed on 20/5/2007 at 08:30
a.m.'.
- Khdeir quarter, Old city: On 28/5/2007 The Israeli municipality
of occupied Jerusalem destroyed a house belonging to Mrs. Zaynab
Ibraheem Kabajeh without prior notice. Kabajeh was surprised with a
police force and municipality personnel breaking into her house while
everybody still asleep, and ordered them to leave at once. They gave
them only 3 minutes to evacuate furniture, and started execution using a
large hammer. The house was of 2 rooms and dwelled by Mrs. Kabajeh, a
husband, and 10 children. She carried out restoration works after the
ceiling came down because of rain. That was an Israelis pretext
-building a wall between kitchen and bathroom- as Kabajeh explained:
'I did not violate municipality's rules. All what I have done was
installing a metal ceiling for a room, for everyone knows that Israelis
ban concrete ones inside Jerusalem's old city'.
- Beit Safafa: On 27/5/2005 Israeli troops broke into Beit Safafa
and demolished Mr. Husan Ali Salman's house for not being
licensed. Police personnel attacked owner and his son, in addition to
owner's nephew Abdullah, 15, who was protesting. The destroyed house,
which is 100 m2 is located near the Israeli Gilo quarter
which was totally built inside the land of the occupied West Bank land.
- Sharafat: On 28/5/2007 Israeli occupation forces invaded
Sharafat, and bulldozers started demolishing Mr. Abdul Kareem
Masha'l's house for not having a license. A large part of the house
was previously destroyed by a municipal court order.
Al-Shayyah - Jabal Mukabber: on 11/6/2007 Israeli police forces
and border guards on horsebacks surrounded Al-Shayyah neighborhood in
Jabal Mukabber suburb of Jerusalem as the Jerusalem municipality
workers, accompanied by police dogs, demolished the house of Mr. Ali
Muhammad Mousa Juma'a after taking the furniture out. The house is
100 sq meter, and consists of one flat inhabited by 10 individuals,
including 8 children. The reason given was that the house is too close
to path of the apartheid wall, and for being unlicensed. Mr. Jum'a
application for a license was never processed.
Al-Sawahreh Sharqiyeh
On 11/6/2007 the Israeli municipality of occupied Jerusalem demolished
the house of Mr. Jamil Ahmed Jamil Shkirat for the second time in
three years. The 60 sq meter house, built near the ruins of the first
destroyed house, had two rooms with accessories, and housed the family
of two adults and 4 children for a year and a half. The Israeli central
court had issued an order to vacate the house six months ago, and indeed
Mr. Shkirat vacated the building, but was surprised that his house was
demolished without prior warning. Shkirat holds a West Bank identity
card and now resides outside the separation wall.
Mount of Olives
Jerusalem Municipality bulldozers demolished a newly established
residential building consisting of three apartments located on the
Mount of Olives overlooking Al-Aqsa Mosque. 27 people were scheduled to
move into the building.
Table 4: House demolition in Jerusalem during the first
half of 2007 by location and number
|
Location |
No. of demolished homes |
|
At Tur |
21 |
|
Silwan |
5 |
|
Ath Thuri |
2 |
|
Um Al Lahim |
1 |
|
Sur Baher |
18 |
|
As Swahra Ash Sharqiya |
2 |
|
Jable Al Mukaber |
2 |
|
Beit Hanina |
2 |
|
Neve Samuel |
1 |
|
Izariya |
4 |
|
Az Za'yyem |
1 |
|
Sheikh Jarrah |
1 |
|
Esawiya |
2 |
|
Wadi Al Juz |
1 |
|
Beit Safafa |
2 |
|
Old city |
1 |
|
Sharafa |
1 |
|
Total |
67 |
Source:
field work by LRC
Prepared by The Land Research Center
LRC
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