Israeli violations in the time of corona

Violation: Demolishing an agricultural barracks.

Location: Burqa village/ Nablus governorate.

Date: April 20^th  2020.

Perpetrators: The building and organization department.

Victims: citizen Musheer Saif.

Description:

Monday , April 20th 2020, about 11:00 am , a massive army force accompanied by the building and organization officer raided Al-Maso’udiya area in Burqa village north Nablus , the occupation forces carried on demolishing an agricultural barracks that belongs to citizen Musheer Saif.

Affected citizen Musheer Saif (55) told LRC:

“When I was in my farm this morning at Al-Maso’udiya location, I was shocked of a massive army force with three military vehicles , and a JCB excavator showing up and demolishing my barn. Noteworthy, the occupation gave me a military order to delay planning and building issues after the corona virus lockdown for 60 days, and the building and organization department in Huwara military camp was closed.

I showed them the military order hoping they would delay the demolition , so I can get the chance to finish the legal file and maybe save the structure, but the officer in charge insisted on implementing the demolition , and leveled down the 150 m² barracks , the barracks was surrounded by a 250 m² barn.”  .

Scenes from the demolition

The targeted barracks in north the village in C area, less than 100 m away from the village’s houses , and built on a plot with a total area of 10 dunums planted with olive trees , citizen Musheer Saif said that he built the barracks to use it as a barn , and provide a source of income for his family , especially after the occupation demolished his house last march.

According to Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights center , which (legally) adopted the case , the demolition was a shock after serving a military order that delays the building and organization scheduled appointments for 60 days due to the corona lockdown. 

Wednesday , in February 6^th 2020 about 11:00, the building and organization officer had raided Burqa village north Nablus , and put a halt of work order on a barracks that belongs to citizen Musheer Saif.

The barracks before the demolition

Once receiving the military order, the owner went to the village council , were he was guided to freeze a military order through preparing a legal file , and filing a lawsuit with the legal aid of JLAC , but the lockdown hindered the process.

About Burqa:[1]

12 km north Nablus city, Burqa is surrounded by the Israeli illegal colony “Homesh” (north), Ramin and Al-Masa’adeyeh villages (west) , Beit Amrin (east) and Sabastiya (south).

Burqa has a population of (4152) people in 2017.

Burqa has a total space of 18174 dunums, 506 of them are the town’s built-up area.

The Israeli occupation confiscated (1047) dunums from Burqa’s lands to establish “Homesh” settlement in 1980, the Israeli government claim that “Homesh” is evicted but that is not the truth,the settlement is inhabited by radical settlers who implemented several attacks against villagers of Burqa.

Oslo conventions divided Burqa into:

• A area: (4796) dunums.

• B area: (5131) dunums.

• C area : (8247) dunums.

Demolishing Palestinian houses and facilities is a violation of international and humanitarian law , but under a global pandemic the demolition crimes are even crueler, and despite that the Israeli Occupation intensified their demolition operations.

In April 3^rd 2020, The Israeli Occupation’s Army commander Nidav Alof passed a resolution to give a 2 months extension for objections related to planning and construction during the Corona lockdown, but the resolution wasn’t implemented and remained words on paper.  

Attached the military order related to delaying the “building” cases

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union

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