Demolitions and confiscations in communities facing expulsion

31 October 2016 خ. الدير (طُوبَاس), خ. الراس الأحمر, وادي القطيف, Kh. a-Deir (Tubas), Kh. a-Ras al-Ahmar, Wadi al-Qatif, Kh. a-Deir (Tubas), Kh. a-Ras al-Ahmar, Wadi al-Qatif

Civil Administration demolishes homes of 14 people, confiscated tractors and other equipment in Palestinian communities

Three communities targeted today as part of Israel’s confiscation and demolition campaign. Jordan Valley: In Kh. a-Deir, forces demolished the homes of 14 people, 4 are minors. In a-Ras al-Ahmar, forces confiscated tractors used for hauling water and feed for livestock. In Wadi al-Qatif, in the Ma'ale Adumim area, forces confiscated water tanks and portable toilets. In the campaign, launched in 2016 in a bid to expel Palestinian communities, Israel has so far demolished 255 homes, and left 1,076 people homeless, including 557 minors.

9 October 2016 الكرشان, خ. الراس الأحمر, Kh. a-Ras al-Ahmar, al-Kurshan, al-Kurshan, Kh. a-Ras al-Ahmar

Israel demolishes 18 Palestinian homes northeast of Jerusalem and in northern Jordan Valley

On 9 Oct. 2016, Israeli authorities demolished a total of 18 homes in the communities of al-Kurshan, near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement, and a-Ras al-Ahmar, in the Jordan Valley, leaving 52 people – including 23 minors – homeless. In the latter, they also demolished 17 livestock pens. In the massive demolition campaign it has waged since the beginning of 2016, Israel has thus far demolished 252 Palestinian homes in the West Bank, leaving 1,062 people, including 553 minors, homeless.

29 September 2016 ابو النوار, مدرسة الخان الاحمر, خ. تل الحمة, Kh. Tall al-Himma, Khan al-Ahmar school, Abu a-Nuwar, Kh. Tall al-Himma, Khan al-Ahmar (Abu al-Hilu), Abu a-Nuwar (Bseisat)

Israeli demolitions in West Bank leave 56 Palestinians homeless

On 27 Sept. 2016, Israel demolished 22 structures, half of them homes, in five West Bank communities: in the northern Jordan Valley, near Ma’ale Adumim, the South Hebron Hills, and East Jerusalem. This left 56 Palestinians, including 30 minors, homeless. The authorities also demolished water cisterns, livestock pens, and part of a school. This is part of a massive demolition campaign to pressure Palestinians to leave Area C that has, since the beginning of 2016, left 1,010 people homeless, including 530 minors.

1 September 2016 Badu al-Mu’arrajat east (Mleihat)

Israeli Authorities Confiscate Caravans in Jordan Valley, Leaving 14 People Homeless

Yesterday (Wednesday, 31 August 2016), military and Civil Administration forces arrived in the afternoon in the community of Badiw a-Mu’arrajat to the northwest of Jericho. The forces dismantled and confiscated three residential caravans, a shack used for raising livestock, and mobile toilet facilities. All the structures were donated to the families by a humanitarian aid organization after the Israeli authorities demolished their homes on 4 August 2016. The destruction left 14 people homeless, including three minors. Fatima Malihat, whose home was demolished, stated in her testimony to B'Tselem: “They don’t want us to stay here. They are fighting to stop us making a living. Where should we go? They have demolished our home several times and they chase us wherever we go. Our life has become bitter and dark and we haven’t had a single good day. We are afraid even to put up a tent because they will just destroy it. Where should we go? We don’t have anywhere to go. Wherever we go to, they expel us.”

31 August 2016 Ma’azi Jaba' (al-Khdeirat)

Israeli Authorities Demolish the Homes of Three Families in Ma’azi Jaba’ to the North East of Jerusalem

On 29 August 2016, military and Civil Administration forces came to the community of Ma’azi Jaba’, one of several clusters of shepherding communities located to the northeast of Jerusalem, between the village of Jaba’ and the settlement of Adam (Geva Binyamin). The forces demolished four homes belonging to three families, as well as three structures used for raising and housing livestock, and left 28 people homeless, including 19 minors. Over the first seven months of 2016, the Israeli authorities have demolished a total of 203 homes throughout the West Bank, leaving 823 people homeless, including 423 minors. The scope of destruction witnessed during this period is the worst since B'Tselem began monitoring house demolitions on the grounds of “unauthorized construction” and reflects an intensification of Israel's campaign to displace Palestinians from Area C since the beginning of 2016.

27 July 2016

Razed to the ground: Israel steps up demolition of Palestinian homes in Area C

In Jan.-June 2016, Israeli authorities demolished 168 dwellings in Palestinian communities in the West Bank, making 740 people homeless (incl. 384 minors), more than in any one year in the past decade (except 2013). Demolitions are carried out only in Area C, which comprises about 60% of the West Bank, and which Israel views as primarily meant to serve its own needs, and in East Jerusalem. Demolitions play a key role in Israeli policy in the West Bank to displace Palestinians and take over their land. Demolitions and devastating communities do not fulfill “the rule of law”. Rather, they are a longstanding, systematic dispossession to which all Israeli authorities are party.

23 June 2016 Kh. al-Malih, Kh. al-Malih (Hamamat al-Malih)

Jordan Valley: Israeli authorities seized a tractor carrying water and delivered demolition orders for water reservoirs

On 14 June 2016, despite the 104°F heat in the Jordan Valley, Israeli authorities seized a tractor on which Palestinians from Khirbet Samrah depend to carry water to their flocks and delivered demolition orders for spring water reservoirs that are vital to the al-Malih Palestinian community. This conduct clearly illustrates Israel’s routine abuse of its power against Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, exacerbating the existing water shortage caused by the fact Israel does not allow them to connect to the water supply.

19 June 2016 خ. وادي اجحيش, Kh. Wadi Ejheish, Kh. Wadi Ejheish

Civil Administration demolishes two family’s homes in mid-Ramadan

Today, Sunday, 19 June 2016, Civil Administration and military forces came to the Palestinian community of Wadi Ejheish, which is known as “south Susiya” as it lies some five kilometers south of the village of Khirbet Susiya. The forces demolished the homes of two families that number 21 people in total, including four women and 14 minors. The forces also demolished two livestock pens. One of the demolished homes had been donated by a humanitarian aid agency.

6 June 2016 وادي القطيف, Wadi al-Qatif, Wadi al-Qatif

Civil Administration confiscates 7 pre-fabs at community of Wadi al-Qatif, rendering 26 people homeless

Yesterday, 5 June 2016, Civil Administration and Border Police forces arrived at the Wadi al-Qatif (Satah al-Bahar) community, which is located along Route No. 1 between the settlement of Mitzpe Yeriho and a-Nabi Musa. They dismantled and confiscated seven pre-fabs donated several weeks ago by a humanitarian aid agency to replace old huts. Six of the pre-fabs were being used as living quarters by six families, totaling 26 individuals, including 13 minors. The seventh pre-fab was being used as a day care center for 12 of the community’s children. The residents of the community live in an area the Israeli military has defined a closed military zone since the early 1980s.

1 June 2016 عين الميتة, البرج (الخَليل), خ. المالح, خ. الراس الأحمر, خ. حمصة, 'Ein al-Meyteh, al-Burj (Hebron), Kh. al-Malih, Kh. Humsah, Ein al-Meyteh (Hamam al-Maleh), al-Burj (Hebron), Kh. al-Malih (Hamamat al-Malih), Kh. a-Ras al-Ahmar, Kh. Humsah al-Foqa

375 Palestinians, more than half of them minors, temporarily displaced due to military training in Jordan Valley

On 26 May 2016, Civil Administration (CA) personnel arrived at five Palestinian communities in the northern Jordan Valley and notified 58 families that they must vacate their homes for varying stretches of time from 30 May to 1 June, due to military training scheduled in the area. On all three training days, CA and military personnel came to the communities to ensure that the residents had indeed vacated their homes and gone some distance from the area. In the communities of ‘Ein al-Meyteh, al-Burj and Khirbet al-Malih, 27 families were temporarily displaced for nine hours. In Khirbet a-Ras al-Ahmar, 14 families were made to leave their homes and stay away from the area, some on all three days and some only on one, for nine to 14 hours at a time. The community of Khirbet Humsah was particularly harshly treated: 19 families were temporarily displaced for many hours on all three days; on one, they were made to remain far from home at night, too, and on another they were only allowed to return home at midnight.

18 May 2016 جبل البابا, Jabal al-Baba, Jabal al-Baba

Civil Administration dismantles and confiscates trailers which were home to 49 people, northeast of Jerusalem

On Monday, 16 May 2016, a large force of Civil Administration and Border Police personnel arrived in the Badu al-Baba community, near al-‘Eizariyah, northeast of Jerusalem. The forces dismantled and confiscated ten trailers, which were home to 49 people, including 23 minors. The trailers were recently donated by a humanitarian aid agency to families who had until then lived in tin and wood shacks. The community has about 350 members, roughly half of them minors, and lives in the area designated by Israel as Area E1, where it plans to expand the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim to create a contiguous urban link to Jerusalem. The Civil Administration put this territory under the jurisdiction of the Ma’ale Adumim municipality. The Civil Administration previously demolished structures in the community on 21 January 2016.

7 April 2016 خ. طانا, ام الخير, مدرسة الخان الاحمر, خ. أبو فلاح, بير المسكوب أ, Kh. Tana, Um al-Kheir, Khan al-Ahmar school, Bir al-Maskub A, al-Mehtiwish, Kh. Tana, Um al-Kheir, Khan al-Ahmar (Abu al-Hilu), Kh. Abu Falah, Bir al-Maskub A, Khan al-Ahmar- al-Mehtiwish

Three days of destruction: Civil Administration demolishes 10 structures in South Hebron Hills and Wadi al-Qalt

More demolitions this morning in the Jordan Valley and Ma’ale Adumim Area. Wave of demolitions, today, Apr. 7, in several West Bank communities including E1 and repeat demolitions in Khirbet Tana in the Jordan Valley. Earlier this week, the authorities demolished 6 dwellings in Um al-Kheir, South Hebron Hills, and 2 in Wadi al-Qalt. The recent action has left 43 people homeless, including 26 minors. It is part of a demolition campaign launched by Israel in early 2016, in which 128 dwellings and 138 other structures in vulnerable communities have already been destroyed, leaving 510 people, including 275 minors homeless.