Land Research Center

Tuesday, September 24,2019 , the Israeli occupation bulldozers  demolished a building that consists of three appartments for three families , on the pretext of building without a license from the occupation municipality.

The targeted building is in Al-Ashqariya neighborhood in Beit Hanina and has an area of 120 m², and consists of three residences that belong to the following citizens:

One of the victims, Fadi Ad-Dardaron told LRC  the following:

“The building consists of three apartments for three families , it is built of bricks, cement and zinc.

In 2014 , the occupation municipality served a demolition order to the structure, we headed to the occupation court , where they forced us to pay a fine of 35,000 NIS to avoid the demolition of our only asylum . However, this morning we were shocked of a massive army force and a bulldozer raiding the neighborhood , we were forced to leave our houses , and they only took few properties out before they leveled the structure to the ground.”

Al-Ashqariya neighborhood is  within the borders of the occupation municipality in Jerusalem , where the Palestinian authorities are not allowed to work , but also the occupation municipality does not care for and leave it without proper services, the neighborhood desperately needs an organizational plan for construction licensing, which is something the municipality refuses to provide, but appears from nowhere to demolish any new unlicensed structures  , where should the people of Al-Ashqariya neighborhood go? And how would they live in light of such arbitrary measurements?.

On the other hand, “Ramat Shlomo” settlement is only on the opposite hill , expanding continuously on the Palestinian land, exactly where the occupation Is prohibiting Palestinians from building a basic house for their families, all this is to keep the land as a colonial reserve for “Ramat Shlomo” illegal settlement.

About Beit Hanina:[1]

5 km north Jerusalem, Beit Hanina is surrounded by Bir Nabala (north), Beit Hanina down town (Bait Hanina town was divided to two parts by the Apartheid wall Upper Beit Hanaina and Beit Hanina down town) (west), Hizma (east) and Shufat (south). Beit Hanina has a population of 33,617 people in 2009, and an area of (8,877) , (3,341) dunums are a built up area.

The occupation confiscated over 3700 dunums for the following purposes:

Illegal colonies confiscated (3064) dunums as follows:

Bypass roads (50 +60) confiscated over 482 dunums.

Apartheid wall took over 50 dunums and has a length of (987) meters.

Occupation's military camps took over (103) dunums.

The doings of the Israeli occupations of demolition Palestinian constructions is a violation of the rights of Palestinian citizens as ensured by international law and international conventions especially the right of an appropriate residence. According to the following articles:

Article 147 of Geneva fourth convention: extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. ( it is considered a serious violation of the convention)

Article 53 of Geneva fourth convention that forbids destroying properties: 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 co-operative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.

Article 33 of Geneva fourth convention: No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.

Article 32 of Hague convention 1907 part g: To destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.

Article 17 of Universal declaration of human rights 10 –Dec- 1948: No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

[1] GIS-LRC