Dozers of Israeli Occupation Forces demolished the residence of citizen AbdelAaziz Al-Khatib in Hizma village, north Jerusalem on the claim of "unlicensed construction".

The house-- built by concrete blocks and roofed with metal slaps-- is of 140m² in area and home for four member family.

The wife of citizen Al-Khatib told Land Research Center the following:

" The residence was built in 2012; it is comprised of three bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and hall.  It is located few meters away from the Israeli bypass road that links Adam colony to Hizma village checkpoint"

She also added:

" On February 14, 2017, employees from the occupation's municipality arrived at our neighborhood and hanged a demolition order on the door of our residence. We feared that the occupation demolishes the house and  fine us 50,000 INS. Therefore, we decided to demolish the house by ourselves to avoid fines. My sons demolished part of the house but the occupation arrived next day and continued the demolition operation.

Clashes erupted and policemen assaulted us and fired gas and stun grenades at us. The demolition operation lasted for two hours before the force and dozers withdrew"

Names of injured people during the clashes that erupted at time of the demolition operation:

1. Hamza Al-Khatib

2. Manal Al-Khatib

3. Jihad Salaheddin

About Hizma:

It is 8km to the northeast of Jerusalem; it populates 9256 people on a built-up area of 1000 dunums out of its 18000 dunums total land area.

According to Oslo lands classification of 1993, a small part of the village's area -- the built-up area-- is classified as area "B" that is under Palestinian control where the rest is classified "C" that is administratively run by the occupation municipality of Jerusalem .

The occupation confiscated 2500 dunums of Hizma for the expansion of various colonies namely ( Pisgat Zev, Pisgat Amir, Adam and Nevi Yaacov)

It should be marked that the apartheid wall travels 4km on the lands of Hizma town, isolating 40% of the village's total area behind its construction.

Noteworthy, closures on the town have been applied on the town ever since the first intifada of 2000. Such measure was meant as a collective punishment on the town's residents.

Land Research Center LRC sees that demolitions contradict with all the International conventions and Humanitarian laws including:

Article 17 of the (1948) Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating: “Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.”

Section ‹G› of article 23 of the (1907) The Hague Conventions asserting: “In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.”

Article 53 of the Geneva Fourth Convention (1948) declaring: “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 cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.”

Section 1, Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966): “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.

This case study is part of Kan'aan Project