Notification of demolition and removal of the residence of the Salamin family in Khirbet Al-Simiya, west of As-Samou’ / Hebron Governorate

May 15, 2022

• Violation: Notification of demolition and removal of a home.
• Violation date: 05/15/2022.
• Location: Khirbet Al-Simiya – As-Samou’ / Hebron Governorate
• The aggressor: the so-called Israeli Civil Administration.
• The affected party: the citizen Hammam Al-Salameen.

The details:

On Sunday, May 15, 2022, the Israeli occupation authorities issued a demolition notification to demolish the house of Hammam Saud Saeed Al-Salameen, under the pretext that it was built without a permit in Khirbet Al-Simiya, west of Al-Samou’ town, south of Hebron Governorate.

Al-Salameen (32 years) reported that a vehicle belonging to the so-called Organization and Building Department of the Civil Administration raided Khirbet al-Simiya, at approximately eleven o’clock in the morning, and headed to the western side of it, aiming his house. The so-called building inspector got out of it, and headed to The house, he wrote the notification, stuck it on the house and took pictures of the targeted before leaving the place.

The notification was issued by the “Israeli occupation army – Civil Administration – Central Inspection Unit” and was entitled “Notification to remove a new building” and bears the number (20832), in which the occupation authorities demanded the immediate demolition of the house and the restoration of the situation to its previous state; this is under the pretext of not showing a building permit/licensee. The order also threatens to demolish the house after (96 hours) from the issuance of the notification.

Notification No. 20832 targeting the home of owner Hammam Al-Salameen

Photos 1+2: The house of Al-Salameen, which is threatened with demolition – Al-Simiya/ As-Samou’

In issuing this order, the occupation authorities relied on the military order (1797) issued in 2018, which targets unfinished or newly inhabited buildings (duration less than 30 days). The occupation courts also reject the legal objection to this type of notification, rather, the Supreme Court rejects the petitions submitted by citizens to cancel this type of notification, and gives the green light to demolish the buildings, in light of the fact that the occupation has not issued any building permits for any Palestinian aiming for construction in areas classified as “C” since 2016, according to the testimonies of lawyers working in this field.

The occupation’s notification targeted the house of Al-Salameen, whose construction is complete and is ready to live in, and it is a brick and reinforced concrete building. It has an area of ​​(160 m2), and it consists of three main rooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms and an outside yard. The citizen also started building foundations for the second floor which consists of cement and stone. The house was expected to be home for the owner’s family which consists of (4 members), husband, wife and two children.

Al-Salameen fears that the occupation destruction machines will storm the place at any moment to demolish his house, although he started the legal procedures immediately after receiving the notification of the occupation, but the occupation authorities – from previous experiences – are not convinced by the statements, certificates and documents provided by the citizens that show that they have completed work on building their homes since a long time, and that they live and present there as well, On the contrary, the occupation authorities put complex fake reasons for their military orders to reach the demolition of homes and facilities.