Violation: Demolishing 109 structures (tents and sheds).

Location: Khirbet Humsa – The northern Jordan Valley/ Tubas governorate.

Date: November 3^rd 2020.

Perpetrators: The Israeli Occupation Civil Administration.

Victims: 11 families (about 75 persons, 36 minors).

Description:

Tuesday, November 3^rd 2020 about 1:30 am, massive army forces, an officer from the civil administration and 6 bulldozers raided Khirbet Humsa Al-Fouqa, and carried on a vast demolition operation and razed 109 structures that belong to 11 families  on the pretext of building illegally in a fire zone, brutally leaving 75 persons among them 36 children homeless.

The UN described the demolition in the community of Khirbet Humsa as "the largest forced displacement incident in over four years."

The targeted structures were classifies as follow:

• 17 tents that housed 75 people (36 minors).
• 93 facilities , including (43 sheds and barns that used to contain 1922 cattle heads , 3 feeds stores , 8 outdoor bathrooms , 11 outdoor kitchens , 25 water reservoirs , 2 Solar cells).

For the names of the owners and detailed information about the targeted facilities , see the attached table prepared by LRC field observation team and the Joint data of damages control unit in Tubas governorate.

Demolition in  Khirbet Humsa

As part of the operation, The Israeli Occupation forces confiscated agricultural tools and machineries in Khirbet Humsa Al-Fouqa:

• Confiscating a MMSI VARGEN tractor belongs to Yassir Abu Al-Kbash.
• Confiscating a MMSI VARGEN tractor belongs to Jamal Bani Oudeh.
• Confiscating a Subaru car 1988 belong to Abdul Ghani Al-‘Awawdeh.

Abdul Ghani Al-‘Awawdeh (62) told LRC the following:

“We lost everything we had, and were left In the open, they even damaged our foods , and our sheep were left outside during the breeding season . the occupation left us  with empty hands , we have been practicing a basic life with the least of life possibilities, we lived in Khirbet Humsa for 15 years in difficult circumstances and continuous Israeli assaults , we also have Tapu papers that prove we own the land , but the occupation tries to harm us in every possible way.”

It is reported that residents of the hamlet are witnessing the worst under the coldness of the Jordan valley, and after children and elderly were left without food or shelter.

Khirbet Humsa Al-Fouqa falls under the jurisdiction of Tamoun  village south Tubas , the Khirbet lands are settled as common lands for Tamoun farmers. Before the 1967, the khirbet used to be crowded with farmers and ranchers , but after the 1967 their numbers started to decrease as a result of the occupation’s arbitrary measurements.

Khirbet Humsa sets along the Buqai’a valley , Israeli occupation built Ro’I and Beaka’ot illegal settlements on the borders of the village , the Khirbet has a total area of 66 dunums , and inhabited by 13 families , 89 for each.

This report was prepared with EU funding

The Contents of this document are the resposibility of LRC , and do not reflect the positions of the European Union