Preamble:

Neighborhoods of occupied Jerusalem have been witnessing Israeli violations and attacks on Palestinian people and properties. Not only that, the occupation have been implementing collective punishments on Jerusalemites as a deterrent act.

The team of field research at Land Research Center documented the following violations during April 2017:

• 27 residences and structures were demolished by the occupation's municipality. Z'ayyem town was most targeted with a rate of 14 demolished residences where Jabal Al-Mukabir area came next with 4 demolished houses.  Isawiya town got five of its residences demolished and came in the third place where Beit Hanina had one house demolished only. Last came Jabal Al-Baba Bedouin community with also one house demolished. As for Beit Safafa and At-Tur areas had one structure demolished each.
• 8 structure threatened of demolition including one mosque, two residences threatened of administrative demolition orders and five residences threatened of eviction.

Demolition of Palestinian residences:

During April 2017, the Israeli occupation municipality demolished 20 residences in East Jerusalem including 14 stone houses , 3 cement and bricks ones, 2 caravans and one barrack.

The following table illustrates the number of demolished residences in Jerusalem during April 2017:

Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-2107

• ** self-demolition

Demolition of Palestinian structures:

During April 2017, the Israeli occupation municipality demolished 1 agricultural structure in East Jerusalem, one retaining wall and pulled off the and destroyed the doors of five commercial structures.

The following table illustrates the number of demolished structures during April  2017:

Source : Field observation- Department of Monitoring Israeli Violations- Land Research Center-2017

Demolition threats on residences and structures:

The Israeli occupation municipality notified Abdallah Sinawi mosque in Silwan town on the claim of "unlicensed construction". It also issued two administrative demolition orders on residences in the same area.

Additionally, the municipality delivered five eviction orders for five families in the neighborhood of Wad Hilweh after sustaining cracks in their foundations due to Israeli excavations in the area.

Closure on residences and structures:

Israeli Occupation Forces closed a blacksmith workshop on the claim of "weapons manufacturing".

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. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent."

This case study is part of Kan'aan Project