Human Rights and Media Democracy Center- SHAMS, issued its monthly documentation report for December 2022 about the Israeli occupation crimes against the Palestinian establishments. The Israeli authorities usually target the Palestinian industrial, tourism, religious, educational, official, and agricultural establishments, but the focus is on the residential establishments. SHAMS Center issues periodical specialized reports (monthly, semiannually, and annually) that document the various violations of the Israeli authorities (occupying power) against Palestinians.
The report is built of the field documentation methodology by the SHAMS Center’s team and field researchers who documented all the violations against Palestinian establishments in the various governorates of the West Bank. The current report covers the period 1- 31/12/2022 where the collected data is processed and classified to be interpreted into a group of quantitative and qualitative indicators and presented to readers in the form of tables.
During December 2022, the Israeli authorities targeted 124 Palestinian establishments through demolishing, confiscation, and notifying to be demolished in the near future.
Demolishing was the major form of violations during December, where 64 establishments were demolished (under the claim of unlicensed building) including 4 establishments where the owners were forced to demolish them on their own to avoid paying high financial fines or even being arrested.
As for the notifications of demolishing, 55 establishments were notified of demolishing orders, in the future. The notified establishments included residential units, warehouses, and a cafeteria. On a related level, 5 establishments (tents and caravans) were confiscated under the claim of unlicensed building.
The first indicator within the report is about the type of the demolished, notified of demolishing, or confiscated establishments. The demolished establishments during December included: residential units (14), residential rooms (1), residential tents (6), residential barracks (2), agricultural rooms (8), water wells/ pools (2), walls (2), horses stables (1), car washing garage (2), commercial establishments (4), livestock sheds/ barracks (8), agricultural barrack (5), school classrooms tents (2), stones terraces (1), greenhouses (1), agricultural pergola (1), room ceiling (1), agricultural caravan (1), warehouse (1), and one water closet
As for the notified statements, they included: residential units (43), agricultural rooms (4), commercial establishments (4), warehouse (3), and one cafeteria. Concerning the confiscated establishments, they included residential tents (2), agricultural caravan (1), mobile caravan (1), and a tent built to express solidarity with the Palestinians who are threatened to be evicted from their land.
The third indicator is related to the geographical distribution of the targeted establishments, where the majority was in Hebron (19) while there were (15) in Jerusalem
Regarding the notifications, (demolishing, confiscation, or stop construction) orders, which deprive Palestinians from the right to utilize their establishments and resources, the majority was in Salfeet (32 establishments) while there were (13) in Jericho/ Jordan Valley. Analyzing the distribution of the notifications will be the base to predict the future targeting of the Palestinian establishments. The confiscated establishments during December (5 establishments) were in Hebron.
The third indicator within the report is related to the affected population where the targeted establishments are owned by Palestinians. 28 Palestinians were affected during December including 5 children and one woman.
The justifications given by the occupation power were mainly unlicensed building where 62 out of 64 demolished establishments were under this justification (unlicensed building in areas classified as C areas). The other two demolished establishments were under the justification that they are built close to the Annexation Wall.
Regarding notified establishments, 52 establishments, out of 55, were notified with demolishing orders under the justification of unlicensed building while 2 establishments were notified with demolishing orders as collective punishment against Palestinians involved in resisting the occupation. One establishment was notified under the justification of being built in an archeological site. The five confiscated establishments were under the justification of unlicensed building.
The self- demolishing, which represents structured oppression where owners are forced to take part in the crimes against themselves or be subject to high financial fines or even detention, 4 owners were forced to demolish the establishments on their own. Self- demolishing is one of the worst forms of the colonialism practices and interpretation of the apartheid system that Israel applies against Palestinians.
Within the occupation policy of collective punishment against Palestinians involved in resisting the occupation to deter Palestinians from resisting the occupation, the Israeli authorities demolished two houses in Jerusalem governorate.