2018-05-07

Serving Stop-Work and construction orders in Artas town/ Hebron governorate

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Violation: Serving Stop Work and Construction orders on a residence and an agricultural facility.

Location: Hariqat –Hasnat and She’ab Salman – Artas/ Bethlehem governorate.

Date: May 07 -2018.

Perpetrator: The Israeli occupation civil administration and army.

Victims: Ibrahim Ayesh and Mahmoud Ibrahim families.

Description:

Vehicles from the Israeli occupation civil administration and army raided Artas town in May 7-2018 and served stop work and construction orders to a residence and an agricultural facility on the pretext of building before getting proper licenses.

The orders said that May 24 will be the date of the subcommittee session in Beit El court to decide the fate of the notified structures.

Noteworthy, one of the orders targeted Ibrahim Ayesh who was building a barn to use in poultry husbandry.

Ayesh told LRC observer:

“The Israeli occupation civil administration handed a stop work military order to my sons while they were working in the location, but these orders did not stop us from working on our project.

They also notified an agricultural cistern we use for irrigation; we do not know how a cistern affects them.

The Israeli occupation attempts to take over our lands for colonial projects, it is our right to practice normal lives on the lands we inherited from our grandfathers, and the occupation will never stop us”

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Ayesh’s notified properties
Image titleThe stop-work order for Ayesh’s agricultural facility and structure


The second order targeted Mahmoud Ibrahim, who was building a 3 floor residential structure.

Ibrahim told LRC observer:

“I inherited this land from my father, and this is the only home I own for my family, it is one of our basic rights guaranteed by international laws and conventions to live in an appropriate residence, but the occupation won’t leave us live in peace. My town Artas is called the closed heaven, how shall I leave my heaven?! “

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The order targeting Ibrahim’s residence

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The notified structure

Noteworthy the notified structures are in a valley, and on the mountain’s top lies “Giv’at Hatamar”, this reveals that In reality, the issue is not all about unlicensed construction than it is on the occupation’s intention to take over more lands in the area of their control (Area C according to Oslo Accords). The Israeli occupation considers such lands as a colonial reserve, which will be hard to negotiate on in any future agreements with Palestinians.

The following table provides information about the affected citizens:

name

Number of family members

children

Area m2

The structure

The order’s number

Mahmoud Ibrahim

3

1

600

3 floors residential building

206817

Ibrahim Ayesh

15

10

1048

Agricultural structure

206816

80 m3

Agricultural

cistern

Source: Firsthand filed observation – Israeli occupation monitoing system-LRC – May 2018.


Artas in lines:[1]

About 4.2 km from Bethlehem , Artas is surrounded by Dheisheh refugees camp (north), Wad Rahal (south) , Hindaza town (east) and Al-Khader town (west).

Artas has a population of 5745 people in 2017 census.

The Israeli illegal settlements devoured 421 dunudms for “Efrat” established in 1979.

Oslo agreement classified the area to:

  • A area : 33.3 % (1169 dunums).
  • B area: 0.02 % (2 dunums).
  • C area: 66.7 % (2343 dunums). Under Israeli full administrative and military control.



[1] GIS-LRC

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The contents of this document is the sole responsibility of LRC and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union