Land Research Center

Tuesday , December 17^th 2019 , the Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished a house in Al-‘Isawiya village , that belongs to Hatim Abu Reyala , the house is an under construction apartment in the second floor of a residential building, Hatim built it  last July , with a total area of 80 m².

 The first floor of the targeted building is inhabited by Hatim Khalil and it has a total area of 190 m², for a family of 6 , 2 of them are children (under 18).

This is the fourth time the occupation municipality demolishes a house for Hatim Khalil. The first time was in 1999 , the targeted house  then had a total are of 120 m², the second time was in 2002 , the occupation demolished Hatim’s house another time, the targeted house then was 150 m², both times the buildings were under construction.

The third time was in 2009, the family was living peacefully in its house, when the occupation authorities forced them to evict it , and while they were evicting the house , owner Hatim and the occupation forces fought over the roof he fell from the roof to the ground, and the injury caused him a paraplegic.

The first floor of the targeted building is now inhabited by Hatim and his family, the second floor was built in July, and it was targeted with a demolition order in August 2019.

Tuesday, December 17^th 2019 , two bulldozers accompanied by massive army forces showed up at the location and demolished the second floor.

It is worth mentioning that the occupation authorities are increasing their repressive procedures against Al'Isawiya people, they decree tens of demolition orders against houses and firms , in addition to installing check points on the towns entrances, and filing fines against derivers, other than decreeing taxes, daily breaking into towns and assault citizens and their properties. Moreover, they arrest citizens, especially children, there are number of children who are home arrests or administrative detainees or have to pay expensive fines. Nevertheless, they turned numbers of them to work in Israeli institution as a punishment.

Al'Isawiya:[1]

7 kilometer north Jerusalem, Al'Isawiya is surrounded by Shu'fat and 'Anata (North), Jerusalem and Shu'fat (west), Al' Eizariya (east) , Jerusalem and Az Za'ayyem (north) .

Al'Isawiya has a total area of 9,419 of which 673 dunums are a built-up area of the village.

The Israeli occupation devoured 2305 dunums of the lands of the village, for the following purposes:

The occupation devoured 1019 dunums for colonies:

bypass number (1) and number (437) took over 641.5 dunums of the village lands.

The Apartheid Wall that damaged 44 dunums and is 443 long.

Occupation's military camps took over 600 dunums.

Legal feedback:

The doings of the occupation's authorities of demolishing Palestinian homes and buildings is a serious violation of international and humanitarian law. And violate the rights of Palestinian citizens as ensured by international law and international conventions which is 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