Land Research Center

February 20^th, The Israeli occupation police and their bulldozers raided Al-Ashqariya quarter in Beit Hanina , and demolished 2 apartments , on  the pretext of building before getting proper licenses.

The two apartments are inhabited by families from Al-Muhtasib clan , the following table gives more information about the victims:

The occupation troops encircled the area, and forced the two families out of their apartments without letting them take anything , after the demolition, the barbaric troops ravaged the surrounding land in order to make sure that the owners won’t rebuild their houses on them.

The occupation’s court in Jerusalem had imposed a fine of up to 40,000 NIS on Tayseer Al-Muhtasib, on the pretext of violating construction law. Nevertheless, the arbitrary occupation forced Al-Muhtasib to pay the demolition costs of 60 thousand NIS.

About Beit Hanina:[1]

5 km north Jerusalem, Beit Hanina is surrounded by Bir Nabala (north), Beit Hanina down town (Bait Hanina town was divided to two parts by the Apartheid wall Upper Beit Hanaina and Beit Hanina down town) (west), Hizma (east) and Shufat (south). Beit Hanina has a population of 33,617 people in 2009, and an area of (8,877) , (3,341) dunums are a built up area.

The occupation confiscated over 3700 dunums for the following purposes:

Illegal colonies confiscated (3064) dunums as follows:

Bypass roads (50 +60) confiscated over 482 dunums.

Apartheid wall took over 50 dunums and has a length of (987) meters.

Occupation's military camps took over (103) dunums.

The doings of the Israeli occupations of demolition Palestinian constructions is a violation of the rights of Palestinian citizens as ensured by international law and international conventions especially the right of an appropriate residence. According to the following articles:

Article 147 of Geneva fourth convention: extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. ( it is considered a serious violation of the convention)

Article 53 of Geneva fourth convention that forbids destroying properties: 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 co-operative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

Article 33 of Geneva fourth convention: No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.

Article 32 of Hague convention 1907 part g: To destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.

Article 17 of Universal declaration of human rights 10 –Dec- 1948: No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

[1] GIS-LRC