Land Research Center

Violation: an order to stop building and demolishing a house.

Location: Jannatah / Bethlahem governorate.

Perpetrators: The Israeli civil administration and forces.

Victims: Citizen Ali Atieh Eid Asakra.

Details:

10 October 2018, The "civil administration" under the protection of IOF broke into Jannatah, and delivered a notice to citizen Ali Atieh Asakra to stop building and demolishing what he built on the pretext of building without permission.

Citizen Ali Asakra told LRC observer:

"members of the civil administration with the protection of IOF reached my house and delivered a notice to demolish the building, We received the first notice back in 2016 to stop building the first floor that consists of (garages) , but we filed the legal documents and hired a lawyer, but the occupation insist on threatening and dislocating us, and threatened us of demolishing another time."

The noticed building consists of 2 floors: the first one consists of stores, the second one consists of 2 apartments, each one has a total space of 150m², this building is the only place they own to live in.

 The menaced house

final order to stop building and demolishing

The following chart contains more information about the menaced building:

The military notice orders to immediately stop the building process, and demolishing what was built within 7 days from the notice day.

Citizen Ali continuously followed up his legal file with a human-rights institution, and when he received another notice he informed all whom may be interested, including the case's lawyer, and that is to carry out the needed measurements to protect his house.

Asakra told LRC observer:

"I will continue building the house, because we do not have another place to live in, and I aspire to secure a proper house for the family, we own the legal documents that prove we own the land, it is our right to build on it and live in our home without any upsets"

In reality, It is not about building without permission, The Israelis are against any constructions by Palestinians, as they are worried about Palestinian demographical spreading, and prohibit  construction to keep these lands for Israeli colonial projects.

About Jannatah¹:

4.5 kilometer south Bethlahem, Jannatah is surrounded by Khallet Hamad and Hindaza (north) Khallet al Haddad (west), Al-Fraidis and Jubbet adh Dhib (east), and Nokdim and Al Davidn settlements (south).

Jannatah has a total population of 7336 people according to statistics conducted in 2017. It has a total area of 11887 of which 90 dunums are a built-up area of the village. 

The Israeli occupation devoured 281 dunums of the lands of the village for two colonies. The first one is "El David – Kfar Eldad which was built in 1999 and confiscated 163 dunums of the village. The second is "Nokdim" which was built in 1982 and devoured 118  dunums. It is inhabited by 646 colonists.

  According to Oslo Accords, % of Jannatah is under Area B (PA is in charge of civil matters with Israel responsible for security). However,  most of the village lands (%) is under Area C (Israel maintains full security and administrative control). Here are the area in dunums:

• Area A (1233) dunusms.
• Area B (3312) dunums.
• Area C (6212) dunums.
• Natural reserve (1130) dunum

The occupation's policies in Palestinian lands of confiscating lands and demolishing homes is a serious violation of international conventions, article one of  The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

Part 2. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Article 17: " (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property."

The contents of this document is the sole responsibility of LRC and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union