December 18 -2018, The occupation’s municipality in Jerusalem demolished 2 apartments in Jabal Al-Mukabbir on the pretext of building before getting proper licenses from the occupation.

The apartments are under construction and belong to “Amin Aqil” , each one has an area of 90 m² and both of them are under construction.

Affected citizen Amin Aqil told LRC observer:

“At the beginning of 2017, We constructed 2 apartments  for my sons’ families, but the occupation’s municipality showed up and hanged halt of building orders on the structures on the pretext of building before getting proper licenses. Noteworthy, obtaining a license from the occupation is very expensive, and they usually refuse to give licenses to Palestinians.

Thursday morning, the occupation troops and bulldozers showed up and completely demolished the apartments along with my sons’ dreams”

The occupation’s municipality earns millions of shekels from Jerusalemites through imposing high fines under claims of building before getting licenses. Noteworthy, the victims are forced to pay for the demolition, the costs reach 20,000 NIS per hour, sometimes  the demolition operation continues for 4 or 5 hours.

About Jabal Al Mukabbir [1]:

5 kilometers south Jerusalem city , Jabal Al Mukabbir is surrounded by Silwan (north, Ath Thuri (west) , Abu Dis and As-Sawahra Ash- Sharqiya (east) , As-Sawahra Al-Gharbiya (south).

Jabal Mukabbir and As-Sawahra Al-Gharbiya together have a total population of (21, 127 ) people in 2012 census-The Jerusalem academy of Israeli Studies-, Jabal Al Mukabbir has an area of 3,281 dunums , 682,7 of them are the towns built uo area.

Israeli settlements devoured 300 dunums of the town's lands:

International Conventions and agreements pertaining to house and residents demolition:

Article 147 of Geneva fourth convention  : extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. ( it is considered a serious violation of the convention)

Article 53 of Geneva fourth convention that forbids destroying properties : Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or co-operative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

Article 33 of Geneva fourth convention: No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.

Article 32 of Hague convention 1907 part g: To destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.

Article 17 of Universal declaration of human rights 10 –Dec- 1948:  No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

This case study is part of Canaan project

1.GIS -LRC