Ref: 119/2009
Date: 19 November 2009
Time: 10:00 GMT
Extensive Israeli Campaign Against
Palestinian Civil Construction Activities in Area C; New Demolition
Orders Issued Against 60 Palestinian Houses, Apartments and other
Civilian Facilities in the West Bank
Israeli Occupation
Forces have escalated their systematic campaign against Palestinian
civilian construction activities in areas under their full control
according to the Oslo Accords signed by the government of Israel and the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1993. Areas classified as
Areas C in the West Bank are currently subjected to extensive Israeli
campaigns aimed at undermining the Palestinian presence. Israel is also
expanding construction activities in settlements and the annexation of
new areas of Palestinian lands in Area C, including occupied East
Jerusalem and its surroundings. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
(PCHR) strongly condemns all these measures taken by Israel and stresses
the legal status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). PCHR calls
upon the international community to urgently and promptly take serious
action to compel the government of Israel, the occupying power, to put
an end to all illegal measures. The international community’s inaction
with respect to the impunity granted to Israel encourages Israel to
commit further violations of International Human Rights Law and
International Humanitarian Law.
According to
investigations conducted by PCHR, the Organization and Construction
Department of the Israeli Civil Administration issued 35 orders to
demolish or stop construction works in houses and other civilian
facilities in Areas C. In addition, the Israeli Municipality of
Jerusalem issued an order to demolish an apartment building of 25 flats
in occupied East Jerusalem. Approximately 275 individuals, including 180
children, live in these houses and apartments. According to Palestinian
sources, since the beginning of 2009, Israel has issued approximately
2,300 demolition orders.
Recently, Israel issued
orders to demolish or stop construction works in Palestinian houses or
civilian establishment as follows:
- On 8 November
2009, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem issued a decision to
bulldoze an apartment building belonging to Sharhabil ‘Alqam in Tal
al-Foul quarter in Beit Hanina village, north of Jerusalem. ‘Alqam
began construction works in his apartment building in 2002 on an
area of 500 m2. The 7-storey building is composed of 25 residential
apartments and was sold to Palestinian families comprising more than
150 members.
- On 12 October
2009, Israeli forces delivered notices to stop construction works in
12 houses and in a bird farm in al-Salahat area in Roujib village,
east of Nablus. Five of the threatened houses are resided by 33
individuals, including 22 children.
- Also on 12
November 2009, Israeli forces delivered notices to 11 Palestinian
civilians to demolish or stop construction works in houses and
establishments in Um al-Kheir area to southeast of Yatta village,
south of Hebron. The notices threaten 17 establishments, including
residential houses where 57 individuals, including 39 children,
live. The majority of the owners of the threatened establishments
are members of the Bedouin al-Hathalin tribe. The owners of these
establishments stated that notices were delivered to demolish or
stop construction works in establishments that are between 50 and
300 meters to the north of the fence of “Karme’el” settlement.
- On 18 November
2009, Israeli forces delivered notices to demolish five houses in
‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilia. The houses, home to 35
individuals, including 20 children, are located in the east of
‘Azzoun village where the Israeli settlement of “Ma’ale Shamron” is
being established.
- Israeli forces
also delivered a notice to al-Bireh Municipality to stop
construction works in al-Bira Municipality’s International Stadium
under the pretext of the lack of a building license. Sources from
al-Bira Municipality stated that the Israeli Civil Administration in
“Beit Eil” settlement delivered a notice to the contractor to stop
construction works in the Stadium under the pretext of lacking a
building license saying the project is in Area C.
In light of the above,
PCHR reiterates that:
First: according to
International Humanitarian Law and numerous UN Resolutions, the
Palestinian West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip are
classified as occupied territory.
Second: the natural
growth of the Palestinian families requires that these families
implement construction activities in order to meet their growing living
needs. Because of the complications of getting building licenses,
Palestinians are forced to carry out construction works above their
houses to meet their residential needs.
Third: Settlement
activities in OPT are illegal and constitute a war crime. Israeli forces
apply an apartheid system regarding construction works in Palestinian
villages on one hand and in Israeli settlements on the other.
PCHR strongly condemns
Israel’s recent measures and all settlement activities and plans in the
occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and calls upon:
- The High
Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their
legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to
ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the OPT. PCHR
believes that the conspiracy of silence practiced by the
international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is
above the law and to continue to violate international human rights
and humanitarian law, including continued measures to create a
Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
- The international
community to take urgent and prompt action in order to compel the
government of Israel to put an end to all settlement activities in
the OPT, especially in occupied East Jerusalem, and to dismantle
Israeli settlements, which constitute a war crime under
International Humanitarian Law.
- The European
Union/ EU member States to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel
Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human
rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU
States and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU States to
prohibit importation of goods produced in illegal Israeli
settlements in the OPT.
