The Occupation Notifies a School and a Mosque in Umm Qussa South Hebron

January 21, 2021

• Violation: Notices of Demolition and Removal target a mosque and a school.
• Date: January 17^th 2021.
• Location: Umm Qassa / Yatta town / Hebron Governorate.
• Perpetrator: The Israeli Civil Administration.
• Victims: Citizens of Khirbet Umm Qussa.

Description:

Sunday, January 17^th 2021, the occupation authorities notified a school and a mosque with removal in Khirbet Umm Qussa east Yatta , on the pretext of building without a license.

School Principle Yousef Basayta told LRC:

“A vehicle from the Building and Organization Department in the Civil Administration accompanied by an army patrol raided the hamlet located to the east of ‘Arab Az-Zuwaided , and delivered military notices for a school and a mosque.

The Occupation Authorities ordered the removal of the targeted structures , and in case the owners did not remove the structures , the occupation forces will carry out the operation in 96 hours following the notice , and make them pay all the costs.

• The targeted School :

Palestinians of Umm Qussa started building a school for their children in August 2020, just in time with the new school semester, they built classrooms of steel sheets set up on a baton floor, in addition to number of bathrooms built of bricks, they also built a water reservoir with a storage capacity of 130 m³ to collect water for school use , a pre-school class was added , the school has a total area of 3 dunums.

The School contains 41 students (First – Fourth) grade, in addition to 9 students at the pre-school class , it also employs Five teachers , a principle , and a services employee.

The School structure itself has a total area of 186 m², while the attached bathrooms are (10 m²) , in addition to the school canopy (72 m²).

The removal notice for the school was numbered (20584).

Notice number (20584) which targets Umm Qussa School

Photos 1-6: The targeted School

Noteworthy, Students of Umm Qussa used to head to Az-Zuweidin village Schools taking a road about 12 km long , it was a necessity  to build a school at the hamlet to save children from the hardship of taking such a long  way to school during the winter cold and the summer heat , but the occupation authorities is insisting to demolish it.

• Umm Qussa Mosque:

Nearby the school, citizens of Umm Qussa continued construction works of a mosque nearby their community, they also built a water harvesting cistern with a storage capacity of 100 m², the Mosque is still under construction , and it is at an early stage , they leveled a baton floor , and baton columns with a total area of 120 m², but the occupation issued notice (20585) to demolish and remove the building.

Notice number (20585) which targets Umm Qussa Mosque.

The Occupation authorities in issuing this notice referred to military order (1797) for 2018 , which targets under construction or yet to be used buildings , the Occupation authorities have been carrying out mass demolition operations based on this military order , at the same time, the Occupation refuses objections.

Khirbet Umm Qussa:

Located to the north east of Yatta, close to Umm Ad-Daraj and ‘Arab Az-Zuwaidin , Umm Qussa has a population of 300 people , most of which depend mainly on agriculture and cattle breeding , most of the Khirbet’s structures are tents and steel sheets , the Khirbet has a road connecting it to bypass 317 , and the occupation built Karmaiel colony on confiscated lands in its south.