Ramallah: Human Rights and Democracy Media Center- SHAMS, released the monthly documentary report for October 2022, regarding the occupation’s attacks against Palestinian establishments (confiscation, demolishing/ notified to be demolished later on). Through the monthly report, SHAMS Center documents targeting the Palestinian religious, tourism, agricultural, and industrial establishments by the Israeli occupation (Occupying Power). The focus is on the residential establishments as targeting these establishments represents a crime against Palestinians’ right to safe residency according to the international human rights law instruments. SHAMS Center issues periodical (monthly, quarterly, semi- annually, and annually) documentary reports about the various violations committed by the occupation against Palestinians.
The report is based on field research and documentation methodology through the field researchers and teams of the Center. The current report covers the period (1- 31/10/2022) where the violations that took place in the West Bank are documented officially. The collected data is classified and analyzed to be presented in tables against specific qualitative and quantitative indicators.
During October, the Israeli occupation authorities targeted 59 establishments owned by Palestinians through demolishing, confiscation, or notification to stop construction or be demolished later on.
The major form of the violations is demolishing where 41 establishments were demolished during the month. 8 establishments were demolished by the owners themselves where the Israeli occupation forces Palestinians to demolish the establishments on their own to avoid being charged for the high cost of the demolishing process in case was done by the occupation’s bulldozers. The justification given for demolishing is unlicensed building. Regarding the notifications of demolishing, the owners of 13 establishments were notified to stop construction or to be demolished in the near future. The notified establishments included residential units, school, and agricultural establishment.
The Israeli occupation forces confiscated 5 establishments (agricultural tents) under the justification of being built without license.
The first index within the report is about the type of the targeted establishments through demolishing or notified to be demolished. The targeted establishments were as follows: residential units/ houses (26), agricultural barracks (5), vegetables kiosks (1), residential barracks (4), residential tents (2), warehouses (2), agricultural barrack (5), and mobile caravan (1).
The notified establishments included: residential units/ houses (10), agricultural establishments (2), and schools (1)
The confiscated establishments were 5 residential tents
The second index is about the geographical distribution of the targeted establishments where the majority was in Hebron (21) and (8) in Jerusalem.
As for the notifications for demolishing or stopping construction and other violations that violate Palestinians to utilize their establishments, the majority was in Hebron (8) and then Qalqilia and Jenin. Surveying the notifications will contribute in identifying the road map of the future targeting of the Palestinian establishments.
The confiscated establishments (5 residential units) were in Hebron Governorate.
The third index within the report is related to the targeted population as all the targeted establishments are owned by Palestinians. 45 persons were affected by the occupation’s violation (within demolishing/ notifying of demolishing and confiscation) during October including at least 6 kids and one woman.
As for the justifications for the violations that the occupying power (Israel) presents to legalize the crimes, the demolished establishments were under the justification of unlicensed building or being built in areas classified as (c) areas where 11 establishments out of 13 demolished establishments were under this justification. The other two demolished establishments were as part of the collective punishments policy that Israel applies against Palestinians involved in resisting the occupation.
The 5 confiscated establishments (residential tents) were justified by being unlicensed building.
As for the self-demolishing, which is one of the worst forms of oppression, where Palestinians from Jerusalem are forced to demolish their establishments on their own to avoid paying high financial fines in case the demolishing was done by the Israeli authorities, 8 establishments were demolished by the owners themselves. Usually, the Israeli occupation forces Palestinians from Jerusalem to pay for the cost of the demolishing once done by the Israeli bulldozers where they estimate the cost doubles of the actual cost and Jerusalemites should pay. The given justification was also unlicensed building.
Within the applied policy of the occupation to demolish houses as collective punishment against those involved in resisting the occupation to deter others from being part of the resistance, two houses were notified to be demolished in Jenin. The Israeli authorities decided to demolish the houses of martyrs Abdul- Rahman Hani Abed and Ahmed Ayman Abed from Kufur Dan Village to the West of Jenin. The two martyrs were killed by the Israeli occupation on 14/9/2022 close to the so- called Jalama Military Checkpoint.