Land Research Center

Israeli Violations in the time of Corona

While the whole world is occupied with the spread of the global pandemic – Covid 19 – the occupation is occupied in escalating Human rights violations against Palestinians and their properties, the arbitrary occupation is taking advantage of the lockdown to demolish more Palestinian structures and take over Palestinian lands.

In the early morning hours of Thursday , March 19^th 2020, the Israeli occupation authorities demolished 3 agricultural facilities (barracks) in As-Sawahira Ash-Sharqiya in Occupied Jerusalem.

The targeted barracks belong to citizen Ali Az-Zahayka , and he used to use them in agriculture and cattle breeding. Reportedly, the targeted barracks are built of bricks and zinc, with a total area of 16 m².

Owner Ali Az-Zahaika told LRC: “a vehicle related to the civil administration and an army patrol raided the area 40 days ago, and gave him a demolition order”.

Thursday morning, a massive army force raided the area and implemented the demolition. After leveling the 3 barracks to the ground, the occupation forces went to foundations of an under construction house that belong to Hassan Al-Hathaleen and demolished them, on the pretext of building without licenses.

As-Sawahira Ash-Sharqiya village:

5 km east Jerusalem, As-Sawahira Ash-Sharqiya is bordered by Abu Dis (north), Ash-Shaikh Sa’ed and Jabal Al-Mukabir (west), The dead sea (east) , and Al-‘Ubaidiya (south).

As-Sawahira Ash-Sharqiya has a total area of 69,398 dunums, of which 1040 dunums are a built up area.

The occupation authorities confiscated 4,054 dunums of its lands for the following purposes:

Israeli settlements devoured 41 dunums:

2- Bypass 90 stole 300 dunums.

3- The apartheid wall :

• Set up : ate up 83 dunums , isolated 159 dunums , and it is 833 m long.
• Planned: it will eat up 311 dunums , isolate 561 dunums , and be 3,314 m long.

Oslo accords divided the town’s lands as the following:

• Aarea : 176 dunums.
• B area : 4,987 dunums.
• C area: 61,866 dunums.
• Natural reserve: 2,396 dunums.
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• International Conventions and agreements related to demolition of properties:
• 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.

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This report was prepared with EU funding, the contents of this document do not reflect positions of the European Union