Ramallah: Human Rights and Democracy Media Center- SHAMS, issued its monthly documentation report, for May 2024, about the Israeli violations against Palestinian Establishments. The report includes documentation of the demolishing, notification with military orders of demolishing, confiscation, and closure of establishments owned by Palestinians. The Israeli authorities usually target the Palestinian religious, tourism, agricultural, industrial, commercial, educational, and official establishments, with a focus on residential establishments. SHAMS Center issues periodical specialized documentation reports (monthly, semi-annually, and annually) about this type of violation and other violations committed by the occupying power (Israel) against Palestinians.
The report is developed based on field documentation methodology by the Center’s team and field researchers who documented the Israeli violations against Palestinian establishments for the period 1- 31/5/2024, to issue the current report. The geographical scope of the report is the various governorates of the West Bank including Jerusalem where collected data is analyzed and processed to be presented, in the form of easily read tables, against a group of a comprehensive bunch of qualitative and quantitative indicators. In May, the Israeli authorities targeted 85 Palestinian establishments with demolishing, notification with military orders of demolishing, confiscation, and closure.
The major form of the violations was demolishing, as 65 establishments were demolished, including 10 within the policy of self-demolishing where the owners were forced to demolish the establishments on their own to avoid paying exaggerated financial penalties or being detained till the fine was paid, in case the Israeli authorities did the demolishing.
Concerning the notifications with military orders of demolishing, the Israeli authorities notified the owners of 13 establishments, including residential establishments, retaining walls, and livestock barracks, with military orders of demolishing.
Regarding confiscation, the Israeli settlers confiscated 6 residential barracks owned by Palestinian families from Caabna Bedwin Tribe. These barracks were built in Al Muaarajat area and they were disfigured and confiscated as the residents were displaced from their residential areas since November 2023.
In the Old City of Hebron, the Israeli authorities closed the doors of the old building of Hebron Municipality in Ain Al Askar area. The doors were closed using welding, which is an introductory step to confiscate the building and hand it over to the Israeli settlers under the allegation that Jewish settlers owned it.
The first indicator in the report is dedicated to highlighting the types of targeted establishments (demolishing, notification with military orders of demolishing, confiscation, and closure). The demolished establishments during the current month included houses (37), agricultural rooms (2), water wells (1), retaining walls (2), commercial/ industrial establishments (12), car wash garages (3), livestock barracks/ sheds (3), warehouses (2), agricultural barrack (1), Family Saloon (1), and (1) Green House.
The notified establishments included: houses (8), retaining walls (4), and (1) livestock barrack.
The confiscated establishments included 6 residential barracks while a building of a Palestinian municipality was closed.
The second indicator is dedicated to identifying the geographical distribution of the targeted establishments where the majority was in Jerusalem (22), while there were 12 in Jericho/ Jordan Valley, which ranked in the second position.
Regarding the notification of military orders to demolish, stop construction, evacuate, and other orders, that deprive Palestinians of benefiting from their properties and assets, the owners of 13 establishments in Ramallah Governorate, were notified of demolishing orders. Revising the distributed military orders will contribute to predicting the future trend of targeting the Palestinian establishments.
Regarding the allegations utilized by the Israeli occupation to legalize the crimes against Palestinians, 64 establishments (out of 65 demolished establishments), were under the allegation of unlicensed building, in areas classified as (c), and one establishment was demolished within the policy of collective punishment applied against Palestinians involved in resisting the occupation and to deter others from enrollment in the national resistance.
Regarding the 13 notified establishments, the allegation was an unlicensed building.
A group of Israeli settlers seized 6 residential barracks for Palestinian families from Caabna Tribe, in Al Muaarajat area, after they were disfigured. Seizing these barracks was within the ongoing attacks of the Israeli settlers against Palestinian Bedwin Gatherings.
In the Old City of Hebron, the Israeli authorities closed the doors of the old building of Hebron Municipality in Ain Al Muaaskar area as a step to seize the building and hand it over to the Israeli settlers under the allegation of being Jewish property.
As for the self-demolishing, 10 establishments (out of 65 demolished establishments during May), were within this policy. Self-demolishing represents a structured racist policy applied by the Israeli occupation against Jerusalemites where they are forced to participate in the crimes committed against them. The Israeli authorities obligate the owner to cover the cost of the demolishing process in case it was done by the Israeli authorities and usually, there is exaggeration in estimating the cost of the process. The owners find no solution but to afford the costs as if they do not do so, then the owner is arrested till the fine is paid. Thus, Palestinians in Jerusalem find it less costly to demolish the establishments on their own. The seven demolished houses were under the allegation of unlicensed buildings.
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