Orgy of destruction of Palestinian homes and construction of Illegal settler houses

Unlawful homes for Israeli settlers, demolitions for Palestinians
Reliefweb, 31st March, 2009

Mobile homes for an illegal Israeli settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) got the go-ahead within a week of Israeli bulldozers demolishing Palestinian homes and property in the area. Those whose homes were demolished included families with children. In the villages of al-Dairat and Umm Lasafa, the Israeli army destroyed the homes of brothers Yasser and Jihad Mohammed al-'Adra, and Ismail al-'Adra.  As a result, Yasser al-'Adra, his wife and six children, Jihad al-'Adra, his wife and their five children, and Ismail al-'Adra, his wife and their three children, were left homeless.

Expansion of Teneh Omarim and other illegal settlements in the OPT continues, in violation of international law that forbids an occupying power from transferring its civilian population into the territory that it occupies. The Israeli settlements include neat, modern houses with electricity and water distribution systems.

Palestinians are not "recognized" by the Israeli authorities, so do not receive any services – light, water, sewage, education or health Palestinian villagers are also prohibited from building rain water harvesting cisterns. No new structures can be built unless permits have first been obtained from the Israeli army: such permits are invariably refused. Frequent attacks by Israeli settlers and the increased restrictions imposed by the Israeli army on their movements have further reduced their access to grazing land and their ability to cultivate their land. Israeli settlers, in contrast, have been allowed to appropriate more and more land. Palestinians have lived in the area since long before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

The mosque in the village of al-Tuwani is under a demolition order, as is a schoolroom in Dqaiqa. Palestinian shepherds fear to graze their flocks near Israeli settlements. International volunteers from the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) and Operation Dove have had a presence in al-Tuwani, the largest village in the area, since 2004 in order to help protect the villagers and to record acts of violence and harassment against them. Israeli peace activists also visit frequently. During March 2008, at least six attacks on Palestinian shepherds by Israeli settlers or police were reported. Full report