Violation: eviction order on Lands in Battir.

Location: Al-Khammar – Battir town / Bethlehem government.

Date: 19/03/2019.

Perpetrator: The Israeli occupation civil administration.

Victims: Omar Al-Qaissi  and Khalil Abu Ne’ama.

Description:

Thursday , 19 May 2019, The Israeli occupation forces raided Al-Khammar area in Battir and notified Omar Al-Qaissi and  Khalil Abu Na’ema of eviction on the pretext of using lands that belong to the state.

Engineer Lara Smara from Battir municipality told LRC reporter:

“The Israeli occupation forces raided Al-Khammar location and served eviction orders targeting three plots , when the owners went to their plots as usual they found the orders and informed Battir municipality”

The order requires the immediate eviction of the plot and returning it to its previous status within 45 days , in case the owner failed to do that , the occupation forces and their bulldozers will implement the operation and make the owner pay for the expenses. However , the owners have the right to object within 45 days in ‘Ofar military court.

The following table shows details about the targeted plot:

Source: GIS- LRC.

eviction order number 08/19 that targets Khalil Abu Na’ema plot

eviction order number 19/09 on Omar Al- Qaissi plot

Eviction order number 19/10

Noteworthy, the occupation forces impose restrictions on farmers use and access totheir lands , the occupation authorities claims that Al-Khammar location is an Israeli  state property , which is an attempt to take over the area and transform it into a colonial reserve.

According to international conventions and agreements , an occupying power does not have the right to impose control over privately owned properties , confiscation of lands is a violation and an assault on the natural resources of the occupied state:

Article 1 of the international convent on civil and political rights:

2. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.

Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948:

Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

About Battir :[1]

The village is located 7km to the western side of Bethlehem. It is edged by the occupied lands of 1948 from the north and west, al-Walaja village from the northeast, and Husan village from the south.

Battir has a total population of 4696 people until 2017 and has a total land area of 6681 dunum, 832 of which are built-up area.

Oslo Accords divided the lands of Battir as follows:

• 1467 dunums are classified as area B.

• 5214 dunums are classified as area C.

[1] GIS-LRC

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