المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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By : Madeeha Araj
The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements said in his latest weekly report , that the Israeli occupation authorities continue the policy of ethnic cleansing and demolishing houses of Palestinians, especially in Jerusalem and its surroundings, ignoring all warnings issued by the UN, international groups and human rights organizations covered by the high court, demolished 100 apartments in Wadi Al-Homs being close to the Annexation Wall. Worth mentioning here that the ICJ legal opinion issued on July 9th, 2004 affirmed that Israel violates the International Law and called for the removal of the wall as well as repairing damages of official and public institutions and departments, including village and municipal councils. The buildings in question that were demolished owned by Ghaleb Abu Hadwan, Ali Hamadeh, Na’im Muslim, Ala ‘Amira, Akram Zawahra, Bilal Al-Kiswani, Rafat Obaidat, Jafar Abu Humaid, Tariq Al-ahamid and Moh’d Idris Abu Tair.
It should be noted that this area, which has been demolished by the Israeli occupation authorities fall within the areas A, taking into account that the buildings have obtained all the necessary permits, with an area estimated by 300 donums.
On the other hand, the demolition was met with widespread condemnation by humanitarian officials, Jamie McGoldrick, UNRWA Director of West Bank, Gwyn Lewis and the head of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, James Henin, they asserted that Israel’s actions violated international humanitarian law, and that the policy pursued by Israel in the destruction of Palestinian property is not in line with the obligations imposed by international humanitarian law, especially the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949. With the endless US support for the occupation government and the settlers, the USA prevented an attempt by Kuwait, Indonesia and South Africa to issue a statement from the UN Security Council condemning the demolition of Palestinian homes.
On the other hand, the National Bureau welcomed McGoldrick, Lewis, Henin, Lenk and EU missions stances, which condemned the policy of demolishing Palestinian homes, and called on Israel to respect its obligations considering it as the occupying power.
The international community called on the ICC to invite General Prosecutor, Fatu Bensuda to refer the crimes of the demolition of Palestinian homes and crimes of ethnic cleansing to the judicial branch of the court as well as opening an immediate investigation. Within the same context, it warned Israel of demolishing Al-Khan Al-Ahmar village before the Knesset elections, which will be held on Sep. 17th.
Last week, the settler movement” Regaim” published large ads in the newspapers, under the headline “State of Terror Behind the Curve,” claiming that the Palestinians built 28651 new buildings in area C, which is under Israeli control according to Oslo Accord. The “Regaim” movement is calling on ministers and Knesset members to begin working immediately to prevent the establishment of a terrorists state.
Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman said that Al-Khan Al-Ahmmar is “an indication of Palestinian Authority’s control of the state’s land. On July 10, Netanyahu stated that Israel under his leadership will not repeat the mistakes of the past. “
Since 2017, the Israeli occupation authorities have facilitated the construction of about 16 new settlement outposts scattered throughout the West Bank, from the southern Hebron hills to the northern Jordan Valley, in the Gush Etzion settlement blocs between Bethlehem and Hebron, and from Matei Binyamin from Jerusalem to Ariel settlement on Salfit lands. Construction is being carried out on land that the occupation considered as “state land”, although decisions have been issued to demolish some of them, but not implemented.
The Peace Now Movement conducted a survey of 16 settlement outposts, noting that since 2012, 31 new illegal outposts have been established, including 21 farms that occupy large areas for grazing cattles. Fifteen outposts were also legitimized and turned into settlements or neighborhoods in existing settlements. In the meantime, the occupation authorities are legitimizing 35 settlement outposts. Within the context of supporting the Israeli judiciary in general and the settlers in particular, the Judge of the Israeli Lod Court attempted to put pressure on the Israeli Attorney General’s Office to amend the indictment against a settler involved in the burning and murder of Dawabsha family in Duma, Nablus, at the end of July 2015.
A list of Israeli Occupation and Settlers’ Assaults over the Last Week, Documented by the National Bureau
Jerusalem:
- Storming Al-Aqsa Mosque accompanied by Rabbi Eliyahu Weber and ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Yoel Elizur.
- Injuring a Palestinian in Silwan town, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Hebron:
- Demolishing a natural reserve in Khirbat Um al-Kheir east of Yatta, an area of 750 dunums, and the destruction of 4 wells for the second time this month as well as demolishing a children’s park under the pretext of being a military training area.
- Bulldozing a total of 16 dunums of agricultural land in al-Baqa’a area east of Hebron, planted with tomato seedlings under the pretext of searching for water pipes that water the settlements of Kharsina and Kiryat Arba east of Hebron as well as destructing water pools on which farmers irrigate their crops to force them leave their lands.
Ramallah:
- Attacking a woman at the Ofer Military Court, she was admitted to hospital after her son was sentenced to life imprisonment.
- spraying-painted racist anti-Arab graffiti on walls and on some of the parked vehicles.
Nablus:
- Storming the historic site of Sebastia north of Nablus as well as the closing the area to prevent carrying out Palestinian tourism projects in the region.
- Storming Silat al-Dahr and Burqa towns, south of Jenin, in the northern West Bank, as well as, attacking and throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles, writing racist slogans and talmudic rituals.
Jordan valley:
- Demolishing a goat big tent, taking over tents in Al-Hadidiya area in the northern Jordan Valley, belonging to Najah Ka’abneh.
