Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHAMS” is following closely and with great concern and condemnation the escalation of demolition, confiscation and eviction crimes carried out by the Israeli colonial system targeting all types of Palestinian establishments, religious, tourist, industrial, commercial, agricultural, official and primarily residential, which caused the displacement of hundreds of Palestinians, many of them were children and women. The percentage of children who were displaced according to a random sample reached 20%, while the percentage of women whose facilities were demolished was 7%, in addition to those who were displaced.
The Israeli demolition machine did not show mercy to any kind of Palestinian installations, and extended to level the land, houses, residences, schools, village councils, parks, fuel stations, cafes, solar energy projects, car washrooms and septic tanks! and even the Coronavirus treatment centers, in an apocalyptic insistence on practicing racism against everything that pertains to the Palestinian people and their existence on their land, within a colonial system that intersects and integrates on one goal, which is to annex the land and displace the indigenous population.
“SHAMS” Center has monitored since the beginning of the year that (226) Palestinian establishments have been demolished throughout the West Bank, (13) of which are owned by women. Most of them are concentrated in areas classified (C). Israel, the occupying authority, uses many arguments in its attempt to legalize the crime of demolition, including construction without a permit, where the Palestinians in Area C will not obtain it for political reasons, or the demolition within the policy of collective punishment against the families of Palestinian militants. In addition to other arguments, such as establishing settlement projects, being near the security wall, or being located in an archaeological area. “SHAMS” Center noticed an excuse for demolishing a retaining wall for a citizen of Jerusalem and it was one of the most bizarre arguments which is the view on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
While “SHAMS” Center indicates, in the context of the geography of targeting, that the main Palestinian cities in the eye of the “deal of the century” and the annexation plans branching from it were the same as the targets on the lands. The highest percentage of targets were in Jerusalem, the capital, then Hebron governorate, followed by Jericho and Al Aghwar, and then Bethlehem as the top four Palestinian cities in which Palestinian facilities were targeted. The monitoring of the targeting time indicates that the highest month in the notifications was May of the current year, as notifications reached (265) notifications, while the highest month of demolition was the next month, i.e., June of the current year, with a total number of (90) operations. Demolition, many of which targeted more than one facility in the same operation, With the approaching date of implementing the annexation plan.
As the “SHAMS” Center sheds light on the self-demolition that continues with oppression, as the number of establishments that the occupation authorities forced their owners to self-demolish until the middle of this year reached (35) facilities, the overwhelming majority of which are homes. When monitoring the demolitions, “SHAMS” Center noted that the closer the area is to Al-Haram Al-Sharif, the more intense targeting there is, which explains the difference in the percentage of self-demolition operations between Jabal Mukaber, which reached 52%, and the town of Abu Dis, which reached 3%, according to the proximity or distance from Al-Haram Al-Sharif, which confirms the policy of Judaization.
“SHAMS” Center highlights to its audience the most prominent Israeli demolitions, confiscations and evictions that took place only during the last week of this month, which increased in an unprecedented way, and was represented by forcing the municipality and the occupation forces in Jerusalem the following names on self-demolishing their homes.
1- Citizen Iyad Abu Sobeih in the Silwan neighborhood.
2- Citizen Issa Allan Aweissat in Jabal Al-Mukaber neighborhood.
3- The two brothers, Samer and Suleiman al-Qaq, in the Ain al-Luzeh neighborhood in the town of Silwan.
4- Citizen Nihad Sobeih Shqeirat in Jabal Al-Mukaber neighborhood.
5- Citizen Khaled Abu Ta’a in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
6- Citizen Muhammad Aloun in the town of Beit Hanina.
7- Citizen Ibrahim Sabi’a and his aunt, south of the city.
Citizens in the al-Ras al-Ahmar area, east of Tamoun in the Tubas governorate, and in the village of Susiya and the village of Shaab al-Butm, east of the town of Yatta in the Hebron governorate, received demolition notices for their installations.
The demolition of two agricultural rooms in the area between the town of Al-Zaim and the village of Al-Issawiya in the city of Jerusalem, a commercial facility in the Ein al-Luza area in the Silwan neighborhood of Jerusalem, water pools in the village of Al-Jiftlik, a residential room in the Wadi Juhaish area, and two houses in Khirbet Beit Askaria south of Bethlehem. A water tank and a house in the village of Farasin in the Ya’bad region, west of Jenin, and three houses in the town of Silwan in the city of Jerusalem belong to the Tahan family.
“SHAMS” Center reaffirms that these violent colonial practices rise to the level of a war crime according to the Rome Statute, and in other cases it is also a collective punishment in violation of Articles (33, 49 and 53) of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons, which we stand on At the start of the 71st anniversary of its signature, which is a violation of Article (25) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article (11) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and Article (5) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the protection provided by the aforementioned conventions and the preservation and care of the right to housing.
“SHAMS” Center condemns the identification of the Israeli judicial system with violent colonial practices and their bias in affirming the decisions of demolition, confiscation and eviction, which constitutes a new confirmation that the Israeli judiciary is part of the tools of the colonial system, and participates in the commission of war crimes against the Palestinians and gives them a legal cover.
“SHAMS” Center reiterates its call to the international community to assume its responsibilities and work urgently to provide protection for Palestinian civilians under occupation, and to stop the policy of turning a blind eye to Israel’s colonial practices, which imply that it is above the law and encourages it to re-narrate the logic of force and legitimize violations Without the slightest consideration of any accountability, especially in light of the absolute American support from the racist Trump administration for the racist Israeli colonial behavior and its oppressive practices against Palestinian civilians.