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PALESTINIAN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
PRESS RELEASE
Ref: 12/2003
Date: 20 January 2003
Israeli occupying forces demolish a house in Beit Lahia On Sunday afternoon, 19 January 2003, Israeli occupying forces demolished a Palestinian house in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, approximately five hours after Israeli forces had warned the family of the demolition. This was not enough time for the family to appeal against this decision or evacuate the house.
According to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately 09:00 on Sunday, 19 January 2003, a patrol of Israeli occupying forces warned Younis ‘Awadhallah Abu Khousa orally that he must evacuate his 400-square-meter, six-room house in Beit Lahia because they would demolish it. At approximately 14:00, four tanks and a military bulldozer came to the area and started demolishing the house. The demolition continued for nearly an hour, during which Israeli forces surrounded the area. Israeli forces have maintained the siege on the area preventing its Palestinian population accessing it.
Israeli forces demolished the house although an appeal was submitted to the Israeli military legal advisor and another appeal was submitted to the Israeli High Court, without waiting the ruling of the court. As yet, PCHR, the legal representative of the family, has not received any response to the appeals it submitted.
This Israeli illegal action comes as a continuation of the policy of the demolition of Palestinian houses adopted by Israeli occupying forces, which has significantly escalated since the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000. In this context, Israeli forces have demolished thousands of Palestinian houses for security claims as a form of collective punishment against the Palestinian people, in violation of article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which provides that “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 cooperative organizations, is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.”
Consequently, PCHR calls upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949:
1. To immediately intervene to stop the demolition of Palestinian houses and pressure Israel to respect the Fourth Geneva Convention in the OPT.
2. To take effective steps towards holding a conference of the High Contracting Parties to considers mechanisms of intervention to stop Israeli illegal military actions against Palestinian civilians and take crucial steps to ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention in the OPT.
3. To provide immediate international protection for Palestinian civilians in the OPT, as it is the only way to stop Israeli illegal military action and prevent further deterioration in the situation.
Public Document
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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 7 2824776 – 2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. Web:http://www.pchrgaza.org
