Ramallah-Human Rights and Democracy Media Center- SHAMS, issued its monthly documentation report about the violations of the Israeli Occupation Authorities against Palestinian establishments through demolishing, notifying of demolishing, confiscation, and eviction. The Israeli authorities usually target the Palestinian religious, tourism, industrial, educational, and official establishments. However, the focus is on the residential establishments as they are the most targeted establishments by the occupation authorities. SHAMS Center usually issues specialized reports (monthly, semi- annually, and annually) that document the various forms of the Occupation’s violations against Palestinians.
The report is developed based on a methodology of field documentation through a team of field researchers working for the organization in the various governorates of the West Bank including Jerusalem. The current report covers the period 1- 30 November 2022. The collected data is processed and analyzed to be presented in the form of tables and figures based on a group of quantitative and qualitative indicators.
During November, the Israeli authorities targeted 142 Palestinian establishments through demolishing, confiscation, eviction, and notification to be demolished later on.
The majority of the violations was demolishing where 67 establishments were demolished including 3 establishments where the owners were obligated to demolish on their own to avoid paying high financial fines or even being arrested if they do not do. The demolished establishments were under the claim of unlicensed building where two of the demolished establishments are owned by women. In Ein Jweiza- Walaja Village, the Israeli authorities demolished 3 houses and a residential caravan including a house owned by a woman named Khitam Khalil Radwan. On a related level, the Israeli authorities demolished an agricultural room in the northern part of Kufur ed- Deek Village, owned by a woman named Najiya Mahmoud Ali Ahmad.
As for the notifications, the Israeli authorities notified the owners of 69 establishments with demolishing or stop construction orders. The notified establishments included residential units, agricultural establishments, and schools
On a related level, the Israeli authorities confiscated 5 establishments under the claim of unlicensed building (residential and agricultural caravans)
The Israeli authorities, without pre warning, evicted a Palestinian family from the Old City of Hebron, which is owned by Hebron municipality.
The first indicator within the report tackled the type of the targeted establishments (demolished or notified of being demolished). The demolished establishments during November included: residential units (26), residential rooms (1), residential barracks (1), residential caravans (1), agricultural rooms (9), water wells (2), walls (2), commercial establishments (1), poultry barracks (1), agricultural caravan (1), agricultural barrack (9), agricultural room (1), mobile caravan (1), stones terraces (3), Greenhouses (5), bakery (1), animal farm (1), and school (2).
As for the notified establishments, they included residential units (43), residential barracks (3), agricultural barracks (20), schools (2), and poultry barrack (1)
The confiscated establishments included residential caravans (3) and agricultural caravans (2)
One house was evicted.
The second indicator tackled the geographical distribution of the targeted establishments where the majority was in Nablus (13). In Salfeet and Hebron 11 establishments were targeted in each.
In regard to the notified establishments (demolishing or stop construction or any other violations) that deprive Palestinians from utilizing their establishments, distributing the notifications will help in figuring out the future trend of targeting the establishments. The majority of the notified establishments was in Jericho/ Jordan Valley (31) while three were 16 in Salfeet and (10) in Bethlehem.
The confiscated establishments were in Hebron (3) and Ramallah (2) while there was one evicted establishment in Hebron.
The third indicator is related to the targeted population as all the establishments are owned by Palestinians. During November, 35 Palestinians were affected by the Israeli violations including at least 11 children and 6 women.
As for the justifications given by the Israeli authorities to legalize the crimes, all the demolished establishments (67) were under the justification of unlicensed building in (c) areas.
As for the notified establishments, 66 of the notified establishments out of 69, were under the justification of unlicensed building in areas classified as (c) areas while 3 establishments were notified of demolishing orders as collective punishment against Palestinians involved in resisting the occupation.
The five confiscated establishments were under the justification of unlicensed building while one establishment was evicted without pre notification.
As for self- demolishing, which is structured oppression, where Jerusalemite Palestinians are forced to demolish their own establishments to avoid paying high financial fines or even being arrested; 3 establishments out of the demolished 67 establishments, were demolished by the owners themselves. Self- demolishing is a clear interpretation of the Israeli Apartheid regime, where the victim is obligated to participate in the crime against himself. The applied Israeli policy is that Jerusalemites should pay the cost of demolishing their establishments where they either demolish the establishments on their own, or pay the cost (as estimated by the Occupation authorities) in case the demolishing was done by the Israeli bulldozers.
Within the policy of collective punishment against Palestinians involved in resisting the occupation, the Israeli authorities notified the owners of two houses in Jenin and one house in Jerusalem, with demolishing orders.