April 1^st 2019, The occupation demolished 3 barracks in Shufat / North occupied Jerusalem, on the pretext of building before getting proper licenses. Noteworthy, the targeted barracks belong to 3 brothers from Issa family.

Citizen Mohammad Issa told LRC reporter:

“The barracks are built since 1991, and they are used for horse and cattle breeding. 3 years ago (2016) , a group of workers from the municipality showed up, took pictures of the property and hanged a demolition order, that incident occurred several times. Then they showed up again with vets and confiscated the cattle and the horses. I didn’t go to the municipality, because I knew well that nothing I do will protect me from the occupation’s arbitrary measures.”

Issa asserted:

“In the morning of Monday,  a force from the Israeli police and vets showed up with a bulldozer, and carried on demolishing the first Barracks which belongs to my brother Subhi Issa. In order to avoid the same fate, I asked them to give me some time to demolish my own structure.  In Friday April 4^th , I implemented the operation , and I had to sell the horses with half of their prices (when the occupation’s municipality demolishes structures that belong to Palestinians, the owner is forced to  bay the bulldozer’s and the workers’ cost , which is very expensive, so the owners now prefer to demolish their own structures).”

The following table shows more information about the owners:

Legal commentary:

Israeli policies in demolishing Palestinian facilities and constructions are a violation of basic human rights guaranteed by international conventions like the following articles:

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.