• Violation: Destruction of agricultural structures.
• Location: Khirbet al-Tawil - Aqraba village / Nablus Governorate.
• Date of Violation: 11/07/2024.
• Perpetrator: So-called Israeli Civil Administration.
• Affected Parties: Farmers Hesham Najeh Bani Jaber and Adeb Khair Allah Bani Jaber.

Description: On the afternoon of Thursday, July 11, 2024, Israeli occupation forces raided Khirbet al-Tawil, located to the east of Aqraba village in Nablus Governorate. They proceeded with the demolition and destruction of agricultural structures (two sheep pens) using an Israeli bulldozer. This action was carried out under the pretext of construction without a permit in area "C," which they claim to control.

Rubble of the structures demolished by the occupation

Following are the names of the owners of the demolished structures and information about them:

 Khirbet al-Tawil

Khirbet al-Tawil is located east of Aqraba village in the Nablus Governorate. Since the beginning of 2020 until today, it has been subjected to five demolition and destruction operations by the Israeli occupation. The infrastructure in the area has been targeted, including the demolition of the Khirbet mosque, and all structures are also under demolition and removal orders.

From time to time, the occupation declares Khirbet al-Tawil a closed military zone, preventing farmers from using the agricultural land. This appears to be a pressure tactic on the residents, depriving them of basic necessities in a harsh campaign that uses methods inconsistent with humanitarian law to forcibly displace the population.

Targeting Livestock and Rangelands as a Means to Undermine Palestinian Presence:

The Israeli occupation and its settlers continue their old and new policy of targeting rangelands and livestock. They use various methods to combat the Palestinian livestock sector, including:

• Stealing sheep
• Spraying rangelands with poisons and chemicals
• Shooting, running over, and killing shepherds and their livestock
• Demolishing and threatening pens housing sheep or storage facilities for livestock feed

Today, the situation has reached a point where livestock are suffering severe thirst due to the occupation preventing shepherds from accessing water sources. The occupation imposes strict restrictions on accessing rangelands, prohibits access to water wells, prevents drilling, confiscates even small water tanks, and damages and contaminates water lines. They also poison water wells and seize springs, aiming to destroy the livestock sector, which is on the brink of complete collapse due to the occupation's and settlers' actions. All of this ultimately contributes to the implementation of a policy of forced displacement of Palestinian Bedouin and rural communities, leaving them empty of Palestinians and turning them into colonial reserves for settlement and grazing outposts.

According to direct field documentation by the Israeli Violations Monitoring Department at the Land Research Center, since the beginning of 2024 up to the date of this report, the occupation and its settlers have attacked the livestock sector with the following major incidents:

• 24 sheep pens were demolished, housing 1,020 sheep, forcing their owners to move to other locations, with some being deprived of rangelands and water sources.
• 17 pens were threatened, housing over 450 sheep.
• 24 Bedouin communities were forcibly displaced, primarily relying on sheep farming due to repeated settler attacks since October 2023 (the start of the aggression on Gaza). The occupation has closed thousands of dunams of rangelands and prevented Palestinian shepherds from accessing them, leading many Bedouins to sell their sheep due to loss of water and grazing resources.
• 40 sheep pens were attacked by settlers through "demolition, burning, and destruction."
• Settlers killed 260 heads of livestock, stole 427 heads, attacked 44 heads, and over 800 heads are suffering severe thirst due to loss of water sources.
• Direct attacks on over 205 Palestinian shepherds.

Destruction of Homes and Structures under International Laws:

The demolition of Palestinian properties is a violation of all international laws, treaties, and conventions, including:

• Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948):

Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

• Article 23 of The Hague Convention (1907):

It is forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure is rendered absolutely necessary by the necessities of war.

• Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949):

An occupying power shall not destroy any real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State or public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.