• Violation: Demolition of agricultural structures.
• Location: Kafr ad-Dik, west of Salfit Governorate.
• Date of Violation: December 10, 2024.
• Perpetrator: The Civil Administration of the Occupation.
• Affected Party: Six farming families.

Description:

On the morning of Tuesday, December 10, 2024, a large force from the Israeli occupation army, accompanied by a so-called construction inspector from the Israeli Civil Administration, raided the "Banat Bar" area west of the town of Kafr ad-Dik. They targeted and completely demolished agricultural structures in the area, including two rainwater harvesting wells and three agricultural rooms.

It is noteworthy that these structures are located near an illegal settlement outpost established three months ago on the town's lands. The Israeli occupation imposed a complete closure on the area, preventing farmers from accessing it or even harvesting olives, resulting in significant losses for the farmers.

Below are the names of the owners of the impacted facilities and information about them:

 The farmer Zuhair Rashid Ali Ahmed informed the researcher from the LRC as follows:

"Since the establishment of the pastoral outpost to the west of the town, we have not been able to access our land or cultivate it in any way. Even during the olive harvest season, we were unable to pick the olives this year. The rooms were previously a place where we could stay and a space for the family to breathe. The agricultural rooms contained all kinds of furniture. However, after we received notifications from the occupation authorities and a pastoral outpost was also established in the area, the situation has changed, and it has become difficult to access the area. Today, these rooms are being demolished as a step toward the settlers taking full control of the entire area."

It is worth noting that the town of Kafr al-Dik has been severely targeted by settlers, with dozens of residential and agricultural facilities demolished over the past years, leading to the displacement of many families. The occupation has also closed vast areas of land, particularly in the Banat Bar and Thahr Subh areas. As a result, these sites have become a stronghold for the settlers in the region.

 Legal Commentary:

The actions carried out by the occupation authorities, such as the demolition of Palestinian homes and facilities, constitute violations of international and humanitarian law, as well as a violation of the rights of Palestinian citizens guaranteed by international law and treaties, including the right to adequate housing. This is supported by the following articles:

• Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states that "the destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out on a large scale in a manner that is unlawful and arbitrary" are considered grave breaches of the Convention.
• Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1948, which prohibits the destruction of property. It states: "The occupying power shall not destroy any private property, whether fixed or movable, belonging to individuals or groups, or to the state or public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, unless such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations."
• Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states: "No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed."

• paragraph (j) of Article 23 of the 1907 Hague Convention warns against the destruction of "enemy property or its confiscation, unless such destruction or confiscation is required by the necessities of war."
• مشروع: حماية الحقوق البيئية الفلسطينية في مناطق "ج" SPERAC IV - GFFO

  Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of Land Research Center and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the project donor; the Norwegian Refugee Council.

  إخلاء المسؤولية: الآراء ووجهات النظر الواردة في هذا التقرير هي آراء ووجهات نظر مركز أبحاث الأراضي ولا تعكس بالضرورة وجهات نظر أو مواقف الجهة المانحة للمشروع؛ المجلس النرويجي. للاجئين

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