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PALESTINIAN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
PRESS RELEASE
Ref: 19/2004
Date: 08 February 2004
10:00 GMT
16 Houses Destroyed in the West Bank in One Week, Leaving 120 Palestinians Homeless
PCHR strongly condemns the latest escalation of the Israeli military campaign of retaliation against families of individual Palestinians that Israeli occupying authorities accuse of ordering, facilitating, or conducting attacks against Israeli targets. During the week of the Islamic holiday Eid, Israeli occupying forces destroyed 16 houses in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho, and Jenin in the West Bank. As a result, 24 Palestinian families (120 people, including 51 children) have become homeless.
According to preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR, on Friday morning, 30 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a house belonging to ‘Ali Muneer Ja’ara’s family in ‘Aaida refugee camp in Bethlehem. Twelve people, including 6 children, lived in the 150-square-meter, 2-storey house. Ja’ara, 28, was killed while carrying out a bomb attack in Jerusalem on Thursday, 29 January 2004.
On Saturday, 31 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces destroyed 7 homes in Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah, and 2 others in Koubar village, in the northwest of Ramallah. The houses belonged to families of several Palestinians currently detained by Israeli occupying authorities. As a consequence, 12 families (41 people, including 13 children) have become homeless.
The houses destroyed include:
1. A 350-square-meter, 4-storey house belonging to Ahmed Mustafa Saleh al-Najjar’s family, in which 6 people, including a child, lived;
2. A 150-square-meter house belonging to Khaled ‘Abdul Mo’ez al-Najjar’s family, in which 3 people, including a child, lived;
3. A 170-square-meter house belonging to Ahmed Khaled Daoud al-Najjar’s family, in which 4 people, including 2 children, lived;
4. A 120-square-meter house belonging to Yasser Hassan al-Najjar’s family, in which 5 people, including 3 children, lived;
5. A 180-square-meter, 3-storey house belonging to Mo’ayad Shukri Hammad’s family, in which 3 families (12 people, including 4 children) lived;
6. A 200-square-meter house and a 170-square-meter, 2-storey house belonging to Faraj Isma’il al-Natour’s family, in which 3 families (8 people, including a child) lived;
7. A 150-square-meter house owned by Jasser Isma’il Mousa al-Barghouthi’s family, in which his wife and 2 children lived; and
8. A 170-square-meter house owned by Murad Walid Khaled al-Barghouthi’s family, in which his wife lived.
On Sunday, 1 February 2004, Israeli occupying forces conducted military operations in Jericho. During the operations, one Palestinian was killed and 9 other Palestinians were injured, most civilians who were not engaged in any hostilities at the time. Israeli forces also destroyed 2 houses belonging to the families of individuals who are allegedly members of the resistance. A third house, in which members of the Palestinian resistance had taken shelter while confronting Israeli soldiers, was also destroyed. As a result, six families (33 people, including 17 children) became homeless.
The houses destroyed include:
1. A 150-square-meter, 2-storey house owned by Nayef ‘Eissa Jalaita, ‘Abdullah Ahmed Jalaita, Mohye ‘Ali Jalaita, and Nazih Yousef Jalaita, in which 4 families (19 people, including 11 children) lived;
2. A 160-square-meter, 2-storey house owned by ‘Eissa Ahmed Jalaita, whose son Mohammed has been detained by Israeli occupying forces, in which 6 people lived; and
3. A 180-square-meter house owned by Ahmed Mohammed Ballu, whose son Eyad has been detained by Israeli occupying forces, in which 8 people, including 6 children, lived.
On Monday, 2 February 2004, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Mahmoud ‘Abdul Fattah Abu ‘Ouda, 27. Mohammed was allegedly wanted by the Israeli occupation authorities for alleged involvement in attacks against Israeli targets. During the Israeli attacks, ‘Ouda was killed by Israeli gunfire and his brother Khaled, 18, was injured by a live bullet in the left thigh. Three families (24 people, including 12 children) lived in the 130-square-meter, 3-storey house.
On Thursday, 5 February 2004, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a 150-square-meter house belonging to Ziad Nasser Qindah’s family in Abu Shukhaidem village, northwest of Ramallah. Two families (10 people, including 3 children) lived in the house. Abu Shukhaidem has been held in detention by Israeli occupying authorities since the beginning of the current Intifada.
On the same day, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a 150-square-meter, 2-storey house owned by Lutfi ‘Abdullah Yousef Khalaf in Bourqin village, west of Jenin. The owner’s son Ahmed, 20, is reportedly wanted by the Israeli occupying authorities for alleged membership in the al-Quds Brigade, the military wing of Islamic Jihad.
PCHR condemns these latest retaliatory measures as violations of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which expressly prohibits punishment of protected persons “…for an offence he or she has not personally committed.” Extensive destruction of property not justified by military necessity and carried out wantonly and unlawfully constitutes a grave breach of the Convention, and a war crime as further defined in article 85.5 of the Additional Protocol I. PCHR calls upon the international community; particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to take immediate concrete steps to ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Public Document
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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail:pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
