Violation: Stop-work orders for construction projects of residences

Location: Nahhalin – Bethlehem Governorate

Date: 16/10/2018

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Civil Administration

Victim(s): Four Palestinian families from Nahhalin

Details:

On October 16, 2018, a large force of the Israeli army with Civil Administration staff broke into Nahhalin and served stop-work orders on four under construction residences in the areas of Baqoush and Qarnet Da'amas under the pretext of unlicensed construction. The orders stated that as the Inspection Sub-Committee session, scheduled to take place on November, 11 2018, would discuss the status of the notified structures (whether the structures should be demolished or retrieved to their previous state).

Affected villager Ghassan Hassan told LRC observer:

"My family and I have been living in my parents' home for a while now, but my family is growing and we need a home, so I carried out constructing a new home in my father's land, I have no other choice"

 Ghassan's threatened home

Affected villager Yazeed Fanoun told LRC observer:

"This is my land, I will not stop the construction, and I hope to live in the house with my family,  I request all the owners of surrounding areas to build in their lands . In order to protect them from settlers"

Yazeed Fanoun threatened home

The town of Nahhalin is a subject of continuous attacks by the Israeli occupation. It is surrounded by Israeli settlements and military checkpoints. Israeli authorities continue to take over the land of the town to expand their illegal settlement and connect their colonies with each other achieving the project "The Greater Jerusalem"

Nisreen Abu Ghlous member of "Melad office" told LRC observer:

"Nahhalin has areas of thousands of dunums, but the occupation prevent us from using them, our children need a place to play, we are working on building up a park but the occupation is obstructing us"

The following table shows information about the affected citizens:

Source: Field Research- Monitoring Israeli Violations Team- Land Research Centre (LRC),October 2018.

Hamdi Fanoun threatened home

Majdi  Fanoun threatened home

Nahhalin:[1]

The village is located 10km to the south west of Bethlehem and 3.5 km to the east of the armistice line of 1949.

The village's total area is 18,858 dunums including 890 dunums of built-up area, inhabited by 8741 people according to  statistics of 2017.

Israeli occupation has confiscated 4,283 dunums from the village lands 3,583 dunums of which for colonial expansion purposes and 700 dunums for the favor of bypass roads. There are 8 colonies founded on the village land, namely (Beit Ein, Tsoref, Majdal Oz, Jabot, Kfar Etzion, Efrat, Illit, Rosen Tsurem and Allon Shevut)

[1] GIS- LRC

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