2nd November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Tawayel, Occupied Palestine
An Israeli soldier in Tawayel
Today, Saturday 2nd November, a number of Palestinians supported by international activists traveled to the village of Tawayel to help rebuild a house for a family that was made homeless after Israeli forces demolished their property on Tuesday 29th October.
By mid morning up to 60 people had gathered on the farm and electricity poles were replaced, however heavy machinery was forced to leave due to fears that the Israeli army would return and confiscate it. Work continued to lay the foundations of the replacement house by hand.
At approximately 3pm Israeli soldiers arrived shortly followed by two military vehicles. Israeli forces inspected the site but did not speak to anyone until the vehicles arrived. The Palestinians present were asked for ID and the questioning was aggressive, one Palestinian was threatened that he would “pay a price” for his involvement.
Construction has been halted as a result of the incursion and the family affected remain housed in a tent. Additionally their livestock are being watered from a truck at considerable expense, as the water reserve was destroyed in the same demolition.
29th October 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Tawayel, Occupied Palestine
A family after their home was demolished
Today, Tuesday 29th October, Israeli soldiers invaded the village of Tawayel in the early hours of the morning to demolish several buildings and a water reserve. The demolition continued into the afternoon, where two international activists were detained before being released shortly after.
Early this morning at around 5am, the Israeli army arrived in Tawayel with several military jeeps and three bulldozers. They began by demolishing a sheep enclosure before continuing to destroy the house of one farmer. The former home of this family was completely destroyed, but Israeli forces then demolished a water reserve. This means the soldiers removed the water supplies for several families and their animals in the area.
When Israeli forces continued in their demolition by moving their focus to another house, used as a storage room, four international activists sat in front of the bulldozer to try to prevent the demolition. Several Israeli soldiers and border police told them to leave and when they refused, took one French activist and pushed her into an army jeep. Shortly after this, border police grabbed a German activist, handcuffed him and placed him in the military jeep. The farmers and the internationals then had to watch, while the Israeli army destroyed the storage room. After they were finished, they released the activists, without taking their passports or even their names.
Tawayel is a village close to Aqraba. The landscape is mainly desert, which makes it difficult for the farmers in the area to build a structured water supply. The village is Area B, but many farmers are living outside of the village, where there is more space for their sheep and animals. These farmers and their families have been living in this land for generations, though the army declared it Area C. Most of the houses the farmers are living in are quite old and in the last few years they constructed infrastructure to simplify water supply, they also built new shelters for their sheep in order to protect them from the summer sun, the cold in the winter and wild dogs. For these new buildings the farmers sent several aplications for planning permission, they did not receive a response from the Israeli government and this is why the administration declared those constructions as illegal.
This kind of structured demolition has happened before in Tawayel and the harassment from the Israeli army is ongoing, although they have never bothered to answer the permit requests from the farmers.
22nd August 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah Team | Beit Hanina, Occupied Palestine
On the morning of the19th August, two hundred soldiers in thirty-eight jeeps and with two military dogs dismantled several tents housing the Tal ‘Adasa Bedouin community in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina.
Destroyed homes and furniture in front of the Apartheid Wall (photo by ISM)
At around 6am, Israeli soldiers surrounded the Bedouins tents, pointing guns at the fifty-three residents, which includes twenty-eight children. The family members were separated into three groups, always under the threat of guns, and were not allow to move for three hours. Children were not permitted to go to the bathroom nor to have anything to drink or eat.
At 9am, two armored bulldozers invaded the camp, destroying all the tents, animal facilities and furniture. The two military-trained dogs attacked the sheep and goats of the Bedouin, causing them to scatter all around. The Bedouins, worried about losing their flocks, ignored the soldiers orders and ran after them, managing to bring them back.
Three hours later, the soldiers left the area but before fining the community with 70,000 NIS for use of the bulldozers and – according to Israeli authorities – for illegally occupying the land. One of the eldest men of the community was told by Israeli soldiers that they have to clear the area within the next ten days, otherwise they will be arrested.
Destroyed Bedouin homes (photo by ISM)
The Red Cross and Palestine Red Crescent personnel visited the community after the demolitions and provided the Bedouins with nine tents. However, when international activists visited the community, there were only twenty-eight people left. Most of the children were moved to Jericho where they won’t be able to continue their schooling as they are already registered in the schools located in Beit Hanina area.
Surrounded by mountains of rubble and damaged furniture piled up around the area Abo Hosean Kaabna stated; “We have been living in Beit Hanina for over 60 years, since 1948 after being forcibly displaced from Al Khalil during the Nakba in 1948”. “I have been taking care of that olive tree for 16 years”, continued with deep sorrow on his face and tears in his eyes, pointing out a large tree in front of him.
If the threats of the Israeli authorities are carried out, next Wednesday, the soldiers will go back and arrest the remaining Bedouins, as the community has no intention of leaving the area.
“Please, don’t forget us. This is not finished yet, we will have to face other problems later. Our community will have to look for another place to live but we don’t know where we could go and families will be forced to be separate again”, said Abu Hosean Kaabna.
This Bedouin community received a demolition order last June and since that time they have been expecting the order to be enforced, without knowing the exact date that their homes would be destroyed.
The Tal ‘Adasa Bedouin community has been living in Beit Hanina for over 50 years after being displaced from Hebron and Beer Seba areas during the 1948 Nakba. Despite living within the Jerusalem boundaries, residents of this community only hold West Bank IDs. In 2006, the Annexation Wall was constructed to the east and west of the community, isolating it from the rest of the West Bank. Israeli authorities rarely issue them permits to cross Qalandiya checkpoint and access the West Bank, cutting them off from villages such as Bir Nabala and Ram, where they have family relatives.
For nearly the past twenty years Israeli officials have attemped in several occasions to force them off their land. However, even after the Israeli forces demolished their houses, residents of Tal ‘Asada remain steadfast on the land.
6 February 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine
Israeli occupation forces demolished a rainwater cistern on the outskirts of Fawwar refugee camp this morning.
The 130 square metre structure was destroyed after soldiers arrived at 9 am and began bulldozing the cistern which was constructed 5 years ago.
The cistern’s owner said that the demolition order was given to him the previous day and he did not take legal action to prevent the action. They also gave a demolition order for 2 more cisterns in the vicinity and the residents of the camp fear their imminent destruction.
10 soldiers, an army jeep and a bulldozer arrived and the area was secured while they destroyed the cistern as locals watched.
What remained left of the demolished cistern
Fawwar lies 10 km soutwest of Hebron. The camp was was established in 1949 and its original inhabitants came from 18 villages in the Gaza, Hebron and Beersheeva areas. The area surrounding the camp lies in Area C which makes up 60% of the West Bank and is under full control of Israeli occupation forces. Demolitions in Area C are commonplace. Residents are often water vulnerable and according to the UN, 46 rainwater cisterns and pools were demolished in 2011.
Team Khalil is a group of volunteers of International Solidarity Movement based in Hebron (al Khalil)
22 January 2013 | Operation Dove, At Tuwani, Occupied Palestine
On 21st January the Israeli army demolished a building in the village of Ar Rifa’iyya and a water cistern in the village of Hawara. The army went on and damaged the only road that connects the village of At Tuwani and the nearby villages with the city of Yatta in South Hebron Hills. The three villages lie in Area C.
At around 8.30 am two bulldozers and three vehicles from the District Coordination Office (DCO) raided in the village of Ar Rifa’iyya, escorted by five Border Police vehicles. They demolished one house, belonging to Amed Mohammad Jaber Amor and his family consisting of 20 people. His brother Sabbri declared that the house was demolished twice previously because it is three meters outside the village master plan.At 9 am the Israeli forces moved to Hawara village, where they destroyed one water cistern belonging to Musa Abu Aram. The cistern was full of water. This is major damage as water supply in this area is particularly critical. The two villages are located along the road 317.
Afterwards the military convoy and bulldozers stopped at the entrance to At Tuwani village, where they damaged the road connecting the villages in Massafer Yatta area to the northern city of Yatta. At first they destroyed part of the little wall built alongside the road. Secondly they piled these ruins on the street, causing travel obstruction. The local council representative declared that they had never received a demolition order for that street. He added that the council appealed to the Israeli Civil Administration in order to receive a work permission for the street, but no answer was ever received.
“The aim of demolitions is to expel us from here and to take us to the other side of 317 road”, said Sabbri M. J. Amor from the village of Ar Rifa’iyya, “Nevertheless, we will rebuild this house again. Palestinian resistance is like the grass: it gets dry, but when it rains it grows back.”
Background
The policies enforced by the Israeli authorities in Area C restrict the possibility to access to basic needs for the residents and prevent development of Palestinian communities. An OCHA Occupied Palestinian Territories research demonstrates that “in some communities, families are being forced to move as a result of Israeli policies applied in Area C. Ten out of 13 communities recently visited by OCHA reported that families are leaving because policies and practices implemented there make it difficult for residents to meet basic needs or maintain their presence on the land.”
Most of Area C has been designated as military zones and for expansion of Israeli settlements, severely constraining the living space and development opportunities of Palestinian communities. While it is virtually impossible for a Palestinian to obtain a permit for construction, Israeli settlements receive preferential treatment in terms of allocation of water and land, approval of development plans, and law enforcement.
According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.
Operation Dove has maintained international presence in At Tuwani and South Hebron Hills since 2004.
Demolished house in Ar Rifa’iyya villageDemolished house in Ar Rifa’iyya villageDemolished cistern in Huwara villageVolvo bulldozer demolishing cistern in Huwara villageHidromek bulldozer demolishing cistern in Huwara villageVolvo bulldozer blocking the entrance to At Tuwani villageEarth obstruction at the entrance to At Tuwani village
