2020-04-30
A report issued by Land Research Center
On demolition operations in the times of Corona
The world is united in the face of the Corona pandemic, but Palestinians are alone facing the Occupation’s pandemic, Palestinians are also forced to stay in their homes after the Palestinian Authorities announced a state of emergency in the occupied territories in March 5th 2020, but the occupation’s demolition operations that target Palestinians’ houses and facilities escalated rapidly during these times.
We were hoping that human rights violations would stop during the state of emergency to confront this global pandemic, as during these difficult times the whole world is uniting even enemies.
According to LRC field reporters, Since March 5th until April 30th, the Israeli Occupation demolished 19 houses, 5 of them are inhabited, and the rest are under construction, they also demolished 39 facilities all of them are in use, expect for two under construction cisterns.
As a result of these demolition operations, 29 people lost their homes, among them 13 children, and 35 families lost all or some of their income source after destroying their facilities. In addition to 114 heads of cattle became out in the open after the occupation destroyed their barns.
The Occupation claimed that they did not target used or inhabited facilities and houses, but LRC documented facts on the grounds that expose their lies and the crimes against humanity Palestinians are victims of in these difficult times.
LRC also documented Settlers’ assaults against Palestinians, their lands, fields, houses and vehicles under the protection of the occupation’s forces (which we will undertake in a future report).
While “Stay home” became a global slogan, what a family that lost its home will do and feel?
The world must stop this sadistic occupation, which has a desire to harm that increases the more its victim bleeds.
Hereinafter a detailed table for demolitions of houses and facilities:
The following table shows number of demolished houses since announcing a state of emergency in (March 05 2020 – April 30 2020) in The West Bank (including east Jerusalem) - Palestine:
governorate | Demolished houses | Area in m2 | Family members | children | Under construction houses | inhabited |
Jerusalem | 1 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Hebron | 3 | 127 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Jericho | 6 | 545 | 27 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
Ramallah | 4 | 432 | 22 | 11 | 0 | 4 |
Tubas | 1 | 30 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Jenin | 4 | 450 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
total | 19 | 1600 | 88 | 34 | 7 | 5 |
Source: firsthand field observation- Israeli Violations monitoring section – Land Research Center (2020)
The following table shows number of demolished facilities since announcing a state of emergency in (March 05 2020 – April 30 2020) in the West Bank (including east Jerusalem)- Palestine:
governorate | Number of demolished facilities | Agricultural facilities | Other facilities | Commercial facilitates or institutions | mosques | cisterns | Retaining walls | Agricultural barracks | Heads of cattle | Under construction |
Jerusalem | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
Bethlehem | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jericho | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ramallah | 16 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 84 | 0 |
Salfit | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tubas | 9 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Tulkarim | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
total | 39 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 114 | 2 |
Source: firsthand field observation- Israeli Violations monitoring section – Land Research Center (2020)