Ramallah: Human Rights and Democracy Media Center “SHAMS” issued its monthly observatory for February 2022 on demolitions, confiscations, seizures, and notifications against Palestinian facilities, whether religious, tourist, industrial, commercial, educational, official or agricultural. With a focus on residential ones by “Israel”, the occupying power, it is reported that the “SHAMS” center periodically issues monthly, semi-annual, and annual specialized observatories on this type of violation and other violations.
The monitoring report was based on a methodology based on field monitoring by the “SHAMS” Center staff and researchers, who monitored and counted the Israeli violations against Palestinian installations during the period 1/2/2022-28/2/2022 in all West Bank governorates to issue this monthly monitor, then work on analyzing, dismantling and outputting the data in the form of tables. According to a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analytical indicators map. During February 2022, the Israeli occupation forces targeted (238) Palestinian-owned facilities, either with demolition, notifications to target these facilities in the future.
(87) facilities were demolished by Israeli forces, 8 of which the owners were forced to self-demolish their facilities under the threat of heavy fines and imprisonment, one of these facilities belonging to a woman who is Thoraya Awayda Sawarka under the pretext of unauthorized construction.
While (151) facilities were notified of demolition, evection or stop working by Israeli forces, the majority of which are residential facilities, livestock barns, agricultural rooms, water wells and pools, a cave, a school, a cemetery, and a religious facility, including a facility owned by a woman who is Fatima Daraghma from Ain Al Hilwa in Tubas where Israeli forces notified to stop working in 30 facilities, 10 of them are residential and the rest are livestock barns belonging to siblings: Fathi, Fatima, Adel and Elyan Daraghma under the pretext of unauthorized construction.
The first indicator focused on the distribution of facilities that were targeted for demolition, confiscation, or notifications according to their type, which included: Houses (50), Residential Barracks (21), Residential Caravans (2), Residential Tents (1), Agricultural Rooms (20), Water wells and pools (11), Commercial Facilities (62), Retaining Walls (3), Livestock barns (25), Stables Horses (1), Agricultural Caravans (2), Agricultural Barracks (3), Agricultural Dwelling (1), Stores (2), Poultry Barracks (1), Religious Facilities (1), Garage (1), Stands (25), Cemetery (1), Water Tank (1), Schools (1), Greenhouse (1), Cave (1), and poultry slaughterhouse (1).
While the second indicator focused on the distribution of the demolished facilities according to the area of the targeting, the peak of the attacks was in the Jenin governorate (26) facilities followed by the Hebron governorate (25) then Jerusalem governorate (19) facilities.
Given the notifications of demolition, confiscation, halting construction work, and other violations that prevent Palestinians from realizing their right to build, reconstruct and invest in their facilities, the number of notifications reached (151) notifications in different areas. These notifications point to the intentions of Israel, the occupying power, in terms of targeting the Palestinian facilities ahead. The governorates of Jerusalem and Tubas were the two areas where the largest number of cases was documented.
The third indicator focused on the targeted population since these operations targeting Palestinian facilities do not take place in an isolated area from the population; during February, the number of people affected by them reached at least (114) individuals at least, including (24) children and (5) women, according to the information available.
As for the arguments used by “Israel”, the occupying power, in its attempt to legitimize the crime – in February, (98) out of (151) facilities were notified under the pretext of unauthorized constructions and their presence in the area C. (50) facilities, to implement the settlement enterprise which called “Wadi Silicon project” on the ruins of Jerusalemite’ facilities, under the pretext of developing the Jerusalemite’ street, the project includes: technological neighborhood, towers, hotels, and business centers. As a result, almost 200 commercial and industrial facilities were notified to demolish last year, as Israeli occupation seeks to transform the area to special passage to the settler, moreover, Judaization of the area. Also, a dome of Al Rahman Mosque was notified under the pretext of that the golden dome of the Al Rahman Mosque, which is similar to the Dome of the Rock as an attempt to make the town looks as a holy part of Jerusalem. (3) facilities were notified as a collective punishment policy followed by the Israeli occupation.
On 4\2\2022, Hamoked institution informed the family of prisoner Mahmoud Jaradat, who is accused to implement a shooting operation with Mohammad, Ghaith, and Omar Jarradat near to Homish settlement. That the Israeli Occupation dismissed the appeal and decided to demolish their houses on 20\2\2022 Israeli occupation court adopted the decision of demolition the house of prisoner Mohemmed Yousef Jarradat. On 23\2\2022, they decided to demolish the home of prisoner Omar Ahmad Jarradat, meaning that this is the fourth house that the Occupation decided to demolish in Selit Al Harithya in the west of Jenin.
The last indicator reviewed the “self-demolition” operations and continued oppression by forcing the Palestinians themselves to demolish their facilities, foremost of which is their homes, under threat of heavy fines.
During February, the number of facilities that the occupation authorities forced their owners to self-demolish was (8) facilities out of (87) facilities, including (7) houses under the pretext of unauthorized construction and (1) store under the pretext of its proximity to the settlement street.
Israeli occupation forces forced Ahmed Amer Al Khales and Mahmoud Abu Diab to self – demolish their houses in the Silwan neighborhood to avoid heavy fines. Also, in Sour Baher village, the occupation forces forced the families of Dabash and Karaki to self – demolish their two stories house to avoid heavy fines, under the pretext of unauthorized construction, which leads to displacing 14 individuals of whom are children. Moreover, in Jabal Al Mokaber Israeli forces forced Eyad Abu Snayna to self-demolish his house, leading to displaced a family consists of 6 members. In the town of Issawya in Jerusalem, Israeli forces forced Naseeb Obaid to self-demolish his house under the threat of heavy fines and imprisonment. Obaid’s house sheltered a family consisting of 10 members, of whom are 6 children and 2 are women. Likewise, Israeli forces forced Naser Al Alami to self-demolish a store in the Shaik Jarrah neighborhood under the pretext of its proximity to the settlement street.
Finally, Israeli occupation forces forced the family of Ramzi Shawamra to self-demolish its house in Bait Hanina in Jerusalem under the threat of heavy fines, noting that the house was inhabited by Ramzi, his wife, and their 5 children since 2005. In 2016 IOF notified him to demolish his house, and he was fined 30,000 Shekels under the pretext of unauthorized construction. 21 days before, IOF broke into the house and handed a notice to demolish the house within 21 days, despite the attempts of the family to postpone the decision after “Eid Al Fitir,” but they refused.