Land Research Center

Violation: Demolition of Residential and Agricultural tents.

Location: Khirbet Al-Maita / Tubas Governorate.

Date: November 1^st 2021

Perpetrators: The building inspector at the Israeli Civil Administration.

Victims: Citizen Mohammed Al-Faqeer.

Description:

Monday, November 1^st 2021, Israeli Army forces accompanied by the building inspector from the Israeli Civil Administration Khirbet Al-Mayteh in Wad Al-Malih east Tubas Governorate, and leveled residential and agricultural structures belong to citizen Mohammed Al-Faqeer . Noting that Al-Faqeer supports a family composes of 9 members, 7 children, and 5 females, most structures were leveled to the ground.

The following table shows more information about the damages:

Scenes from the demolition operation

Reportedly, in January 25^th 2021 Al-Faqeer received three halt of work notices issued by the building inspector at the Israeli Civil Administration, The notice held number (30727, 30728, 30729), at the time 13 families received notices at the same community , and after tireless efforts of the legal aid offices at Tubas governorate , the families managed to freeze the demolition until March , but the community was appalled by the demolition operation earlier , which is an example of the occupation’s arbitrary policies , that aim to drive the community out of the area.

Khirbet Al-Mayteh was also targeted in 2014 with a mass demolition and forced displacement operation of the hands of Israeli troops , noting that the area was a bustling agricultural area before the Israeli occupation of the West Bank in 1967.

The population of the area reached up to 90 people who live in houses made of wood, cloth shades. Sheep husbandry is the main profession of the community residents. The great majority of the residents come from and have roots in the community of Arab al-Meyteh in the area of Wadi al-Maleh.

Meanwhile, the occupation has been active in looting and Judaizing lands and destroying the natural resources of al-ghoor for the sake of emptying the area to accomplish their grater goal of al-ghoor takeover.

Legal Commentary:

Demolition of Palestinian structures by the occupation authorities is a violation of international and humanitarian law presented by the following articles:

Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, dated December 10, 1948 states that “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property”.

Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1948 prohibits the destruction of property, as this article states the following: “The occupying power is prohibited from destroying any private, fixed or movable property related to individuals or groups, the state or public authorities, or social or cooperative organizations, unless the war operations inevitably require this destruction.

Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed.

Paragraph ‘g’ of Article 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 AD also warned against destroying or seizing the enemy’s property, unless the necessities of war necessarily require such destruction or seizure.

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