Israeli State threatening immediate demolition of entire Palestinian village

5th May 2015 | Operation Dove | At-Tuwani, Occupied Palestine

This article was originally published as a press release by Operation Dove.

The entire Palestinian village of Susya is in danger of demolition and expulsion. By refusing to issue an interim order preventing preemptive demolitions before their case is heard, the Israeli High Court is allowing for the demolition of the entire Palestinian village of Susya and subsequent expulsion of its 340 residents. The refusal of the State to commit to not demolishing before the conclusion of proceedings suggests it has plans to destroy the village in the near future.

On one hand, the High Court of Justice is willing to hear the village’s petition to legitimize its status, but on the other hand, the court allows the village to be destroyed before even deciding on the case.

suseya

On May 5 2015, High Court Judge Noam Solberg rejected the request for an interim order by the Palestinian village of Susya, represented by Rabbis for Human Rights, in a petition against the Civil Administration’s decision to reject the master plan prepared by the village and subsequent demolition of the entire village.

The village argued that their plan was rejected for non-professional reasons and that the village should be legalized due to its unique history. The residents sought an interim order to freeze the implementation of the demolitions until the petition is heard, as is standard practice in these sort of cases.It was against this request for an interim order that Justice Solberg, without even conducting a hearing on the request, made the unusual move of granting the state’s request not to freeze the orders. This decision means that the Civil Administration can now destroy Susya at any time. The demolition of the village will lead to hundreds of residents living in the desert with no roof over their heads and may result in their displacement. The state’s refusal to commit to waiting for a conclusion to the court proceedings raises great alarm that it intends to implement the demolition order in the near future; tragically, it seems the villagers are in real danger.

In the petition, Susya’s residents claimed that the army is obliged to legalize their village as it was the one to confiscate their land and their caves in 1986, leaving them without a housing solution and forcing them to move to their adjacent agricultural lands. As evidence to the life in the village prior to the expropriation, various testimonials and photographs of life in caves were presented to the judge. Among other things, there were documented photos of a visit by the US Consulate to the village at the beginning of 1986. The photos and testimony clearly shows that the Palestinian village of Susya is an old village formed prior to the Israeli occupation and the declaration of the area as an archaeological site.

Among the evidence was the opinion of the late governmental legal adviser Plia Albeck (considered to be very pro-settlement and who wrote in her memoirs that she tried to find legal ways to declare Palestinian land as State land), indicating the existence of a Palestinian village in 1982 where today the archaeological site stands.

Despite the evidence presented before him, revealing the many injustices done to the villagers – from the expropriation and dispossession of their lands, to the refusal by the state to recognize the status of the village in its new location – Judge Sohlberg did not agree to hear the case before allowing the demolishment the village and setting the fate of its inhabitants.

Attached to the petition, inter alia, was an expert opinion by Prof. Eyal Benvenisti, a renowned expert in international law, stipulating that the demolition of the village of Susya constitutes a war crime.

This week, a report by radical right-wing NGO “Regavim” (which has close ties to the settlement enterprise) was exposed indicating that in the nearby Jewish settlement, also called Susia, there are 23 illegal homes built on private Palestinian land. We have no indication of any attempt by the state to demolish these illegal structures in the settlement Sussia or in its nearby outposts. We see in this current situation that this Jewish settlement, whose very existence is prohibited by international law, and where some of its homes are sitting on private Palestinian land, is prosperous, while the Palestinian village of Susya, whose inhabitants are on their own private land, is at risk of displacement and loss of their entire village.

Background:

In 1986 the village of Susya was declared an archaeological site, its land expropriated, and its inhabitants, who lived in caves, were deported. While the Palestinians were told that they could not reside in an archeological site, Israeli settlers live in an illegal outpost located inside the archeological site.

After the expulsion, villagers were forced to move to their neighboring agricultural plots. Because there was no willingness to grant a zoning plan, they involuntarily became illegal builders. Dozens of villagers followed procedures in attempts to obtain building permits, but those attempts were rejected. In 2012 the villagers raised funds and submitted a proposed master plan, drawn up by Professor Rassem Khamaiseh, for the Civil Administration for review. The plan would authorize construction in the village according to accepted standards of professional planning.

The plan was rejected in 2013 on very questionable grounds, indicating a double standard in planning, and blatant discrimination against the Palestinian population. For example, it was argued that the number of residents in the village, which is a few hundred people, is not substantial enough to grant it independent planning as its own entity. On the other hand, dozens of unauthorized outposts which are built housing only a handful of residents are approved by the Civil Administration’s planning body. In addition, it was argued that the plan will prevent the population from properly developing and moving out of poverty, and therefore, they should be moved to an adjacent city. It should be noted that the city is, of course, in Area A, and what actually prevents the progress of Susya is the lack of infrastructure which they are prevented from building. Also important to note is that Israelis are permitted to choose their preferred way of life – be it urban or rural, and are not forced by the state into one or the other.

In 2014, Rabbis for Human Rights petitioned the High Court on behalf of the Susya village council and its residents against the decision to reject the village master plan (HCJ 1420/14). As mentioned, on May 5th the court rejected the request for an interim injunction, leaving the whole village vulnerable to imminent demolition.

The big picture:

The danger of demolishing and expropriating the village of Susya reflects the systemic problem of planning for Palestinian villages located in Area C; in these villages, planning is done by military planning committees, without representation of Palestinians, with the intent of preventing residents from building on their own land based on reasonable and professional planning standards. A recent High Court petition, submitted by the village council Dirat, Rabbis for Human Rights, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Society, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and St. Yves – Catholic Human Rights Center, demands planning authority be returned to Palestinian villages for their own communities in order to prevent the tragic demolitions of hundreds of homes every year due to the impossibility of obtaining building permits.

Nine Palestinian fishermen kidnapped by the Egyptian army

06th March | Miguel Hernández | Gaza, Occupied Palestine

On the 3rd of May,  the trial of nine Palestinian fishermen kidnapped by the Egyptian army while fishing in waters of the border city of Rafah, took place in the Egyptian city of Al Arish. Three of the fishermen are brothers, Ali Abu Hamada, 36 years old, with eight children, Mahmoud Abu Hamada, 22 years old, and Mohamed Abu Hamada, 32 years old with three children. Among the hostages there’s also a 13 years old boy.

Mohamed’s wife with their three children.
Mohamed’s wife with their three children.

Since the end of the last massacre in Gaza the situation of the fishermen has been worse than ever. They don’t even dare to reach the four mile limit.

Despite the fact that, officially, the sea blockade imposed by the Israeli state starts at six miles, the attacks on the fishermen are continuous even as close as two miles out.

Gaza sea port
Gaza sea port

Palestinians locked in Gaza tell us how much the position of the Eyptian government and its total coordination with the Israeli state regarding the policies towards the Palestinian people surprises and saddens them.

To the destruction of the tunnels that supplied the fishermen with fiberglass, necessary to fix the bullet holes in their boats, and the spare parts for engines, has, in recent months, been added the abduction of Palestinian fishermen and vessels that fish near Egyptian waters.

The mother of the three brothers, Nasmiya, native of Yibna, a Palestinian village wiped out by Israeli colonialism during the Nakba, described the umpteenth misfortune that the creation of the State of Israel in Paletine has brought to her life.

On the 16th March 2015, her sons, along with six other fishermen from Al Shati refugee camp, located in the Northern part of the Gaza Strip, headed south to the city of Rafah, trying to escape from the continuous attacks of the Israeli occupation forces and looking for less polluted and exploited waters.

The day after, the family received a phone call from the Egyptian army telling her that the nine fishermen were dead and that their bodies were in Egypt, ready to be returned the next time Rafah border opened.

It wasn’t until two weeks later when one of her sons managed to take a picture of the nine men and sent it to his mother, that she knew they were still alive.

Despite the bad quality of the picture, the signs of torture on their bodies was clear; cigarette burns, black eyes, wounds and bruises. For security reasons Nasmiya asks us not to publish the picture.

The family still doesn’t know the outcome of the trial, and no one dares to make predictions.

Join The Resistance! Join the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine

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In recent months activists on the ground have witnessed an escalation of violence directed at Palestinians. There is an urgent need for international volunteers to support grassroots, non-violent Palestinian popular resistance to the Israeli Occupation. Continue reading Join The Resistance! Join the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine

Two Palestinian youths violently arrested in Al-Khalil (Hebron)

04th May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

In the early evening of Friday the 1st of May, Israeli forces arrested two Palestinian youths in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of occupied Al-Khalil (Hebron). Nizar Salhab, accused of attacking a settler was released the same evening, Awne Imad Abu Shamsiyeh was only released the next evening and now faces charges in an Israeli military court.

Around 5 o’clock on Friday, Israeli soldiers physically assaulted Awne Abu Shamsiyeh at the entrance to his family’s house. When his father heard the commotion he came out and started filming the incident. The soldier attacking Awne escaped to the nearby illegal settlement in order not to be filmed. Awne was left with marks on his neck from the attack.

Shortly afterwards, another Palestinian boy, 14-year old Nizar Salhab, was detained by Israeli forces. He was physically assaulted by an Israeli settler, who was allowed to leave the scene of the incident as soon as soldiers turned up. Nizar was taken to the military base in Tel Rumeida illegal settlement. After video evidence (filmed by Human Rights Defenders) of the settler attacking Nizar was brought to the police station, he was eventually released the same night. Even with the video showing clearly the settler attacking Nizar, the assailant does not face any consequences for his actions.

About an hour after Awne was first attacked by Israeli soldiers, he was arrested outside his house and taken to Givat Ha’vot police station in the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba and formally charged. He had to spend the night in a prison in Hebron. Awne’s lawyer managed to negotiate bail of 500 shekels so he could be released.

Initially, the family was told that the court date would be the next day, Sunday, leaving only one night for Awne to spend with his family. Later that evening, it was confirmed that the court date will be postponed until June. What will happen now is still unknown .

The Abu Shamsiyeh family lives in H2 close to Israeli settlements in Hebron (Al Khalil) and experience extensive harassment from both Israeli settlers and soldiers. Just a few months ago, settlers tried murdering the family by poisoning their water tank. Luckily, the family noticed that something was wrong before drinking any of the water. Awne has been arrested several times before, and was violently detained a month ago with visible marks on his neck.

On the following day, Nizar Salhab was again detained by Israeli soldiers, with no reason given. Local and international volunteers documenting the incident were harassed by settlers from the nearby illegal settlements, as shown in this video taken by Human Rights Defenders.

Palestinians, especially in H2, live in constant uncertainty about their future. They know that the Israeli soldiers might arrest them at any time and for no identifiable reason. And they know that once they are arrested there is no telling when they will be free again.
In 2014 three children were killed as a direct result of Israeli military and settler presence in Hebron. A total of 182 Palestinian children were in Israeli detention in the month of February 2015 alone, with 25 of them being only twelve to 15 years old.

Read an interview with Awne (2014) about his experiences and daily life in H2.

Read about Israeli settlers poisoning the Abu Shamsiyeh family’s water tank.

Tear gas and fire threaten Ni’lin demo

04th May 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Ni’lin, Occupied Palestine

During the weekly Friday demonstration on 1st May, 2015 in the occupied West Bank village of Ni’lin, Israeli occupation forces fired more than two hundred tear gas canisters and several rubber-coated steel bullets. Tear-gas caused a fire in the fields that was put out by the protestors.

Demonstrators facing the Israeli army
Demonstrators facing the Israeli army

After the noon-prayer in the fields of the village, the demonstration set off towards the apartheid wall separating the village from part of its land. Soon after the start of the demonstration, Israeli occupation forces stopped the march by shooting several volleys of tear gas grenades. Even as the march stopped, Israeli forces kept shooting hundreds of tear gas canisters in rapid succession at the protestors.

Tear gas fired at the demonstration by the Israeli forces
Tear gas fired at the demonstration by the Israeli forces

When tear gas caused a fire in the wheat fields, demonstrators immediately rushed to put it out. Their attempts  to save as much of the harvest as possible were impeded by the incessant firing of tear gas canisters. Israeli forces fired large quantities of tear gas directly at people in the fields.

Fire in the wheat fields caused by tear gas
Fire in the wheat fields caused by tear gas

Unlike last weeks protest, when Israeli snipers injured three youths in the leg with live ammunition, no-one was shot at this week’s protest. Demonstrators suffered from excessive tear-gas inhalation and being hit by tear-gas canisters.