Violation: serving stop-work orders

Location: Al-Walaja town/ Bethlehem governorate

Date: October 21, 2018

Perpetrators: The Israel occupation Civil Administration and Army.

Victims: Mohammad hajajla , Hassan Salah and Ibrahim Abu At-Tir’s families.

Description:

Israeli Occupation Authorities served on October 21, 2018 stop-work orders targeting residences in Al-Walaja village on the claim of “unlicensed construction”.

The orders compelled a halt on all construction works on the claim of unlicensed construction. November 11, 2018 was set as the hearing session of the Inspection Sub-Committee in the Israeli Court of Beit El to consider whether to demolish the notified structures or restore their previous status.

Lamia Hajajla (Mohammad Hajajla’s wife) told LRC observer:

“The house we live in is inappropriate and unhealthy, during winter time the ceilings leak rain water, which lead us to build a new house despite our poor financial resources, but the occupation will never let us live in peace.”

Hassan Salah told LRC observer:

“I recently built  a house, despite that it lacks an electricity network, I live in it with my family for we have no other place to go, but the occupation won’t leave us live in peace, Now after we received a military order , we are afraid of what the future holds” 

As usual, Israeli Occupation Authorities claim that affected citizen can apply for building permits but make it clear that they don’t necessarily grant such permits for them

The following table provides information about affected citizens:

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

Al Walaja:[1]

Since 1948, Al Walaja has been set as a target by the Israeli Occupation which was keen to capture the village and expel its residents.

In 1948, the village was 17793 dunums in area; the number was reduced back then to 6000 dunums only after the armistice agreement with the Jordanian side. In 1996, 500  dunums were confiscated for the milling of a by-pass road that is rarely used these days.

Moreover, around 1000 dunums were confiscated between 1969 and 1997 for the construction of Gilo colony to the north; as a consequence, the village total area nowadays is around 4500 dunums. The Israeli have acquired al Walaja as a target for placing around 13600 residential units in a new colony; the projected colony is supposed to connect ‘West Jerusalem’ with Ezyon colony located southern Bethlehem.

[1] GIS-LRC

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