• Violation: demolishing and confiscating a greenhouse.
• Date: 17 /06 /2019.
• Location: Beit Za’ata , Beit Ummar village / Hebron governorate.
• Perpetrator: The Israeli occupation civil administration.
• Victims: Mahdi Mesyef.

Description:

17 June 2019, the Israeli occupation army demolished a greenhouse that belongs to Mahdi Mesyaf on the pretext of building without licenses.

Mahdi (31) said that an army force accompanied by machineries raided Beit Za’ata and destroyed his green house then confiscated its parts in addition to the tools that were used in the construction.

Reportedly, the greenhouse was located on a 300 m² land, and was going to be used as a nursery , the project was supposed to provide a job opportunity for Mahdi.

Photos 1-4: the remains of the demolition and confiscation

The occupation authorities served a “Confiscation order” to the owner, after they took away all the parts of his greenhouse.

Photos 5+6 : The confiscation military order

Photo 7: the project before the attack

In 31^st January 2019, the occupation authorities served a halt of work order on Mahdi’s project on the pretext of building without licenses.

Also in 4^th  April 2019, the occupation authorities served a final demolition order that gave the owner only a week to demolish his facility, As the occupation’s order said, in case the owner failed to  implement the operation before the dead line, the occupation troops will implement the operation and make him pay for the expenses.

Photos 8+9 : the occupation’s military orders

Noteworthy, the occupation authorities impose high fines on Palestinians who want their confiscated properties back, and starts selling them only after one month from the confiscation.

International Conventions and agreements pertaining demolition of houses and facilities:

• Article 147 of Geneva fourth convention  : extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. ( it is considered a serious violation of the convention)
• Article 53 of Geneva fourth convention that forbids destroying properties : Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or co-operative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.
• Article 33 of Geneva fourth convention: No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.
• Article 32 of Hague convention 1907 part g: To destroy or seize the enemy’s property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war.
• Article 17 of Universal declaration of human rights 10 –Dec- 1948:  No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

About Beit Ummar: [1]

It is located 12 km to Hebron city. The village’s total area is 21,285 dunums, of which 1,375 dunums are considered the built-up area; around 16,977 people inhabit Beit Ummar (according to 2017 census).

The Israeli occupation authorities confiscated 560.5 dunums from Beit Ummar for the favor of the bypass road no.60.  The occupation also confiscated 1,216 dunums for the favor of the following colonies:

Colony	Year of establishment	Dunums confiscated from Beit Ummar	Built-up area\dunums	No. of colonists
Karmei Zur	1984	179	289	623
Migdal Oz	1977	682	1,076.4	298
Kfar Etzion	1976	18.6	923.5	404
Efrat	1979	98.6	2,063.6	7,037
Alon Shevut	1971	237.8	934	3,146
Total		1216	5,286.5	11,508

 

[1] GIS-LRC

 

Prepared by
 The Land Research Center
LRC