On May 10, at 10:40 am, DCO, accompanied by Israeli Army, delivered the demolition orders for two animal shelters in the Palestinian village of Susiya. The officer also pictured structures belonging to the village as houses,  the school and the recreation ground.

In 1986 the village of Susiya was declared archeological site, its land expropriated and inhabitants were evicted and forced to move in their nearby agricultural land where on 2012, Israel’s Civil Administration distributed demolition orders to over 50 temporary structures.

In 2014 the residents of Susiya, represented by Rabbi for Human Rights, sued for a request to freeze the demolition order’s implementation. In 2015, on May 5,  the Israeli High Court rejected that request, allowing the demolition of the village.

Now the threat to be evicted and deported again, becomes more imminent for the inhabitants  of Susiya.

(italian follows)

Il 10 maggio, alle 10:40 del mattino, la DCO (District Coordination Office), accompagnata dall’esercito israeliano, ha consegnato l’ordine di demolizione a due ricoveri per animali, nel villaggio palestinese di Susiya. L’ufficiale della DCO ha inoltre fotografato doverse strutture del villaggio, come la scuola, il parco giochi e le case.

Nel 1986 il villaggio di Susiya fu dichiarato sito di interesse archeologico. Gli abitanti di conseguenza furono evacuati, le loro terre espropriate, e furono obbligati a ricollocarsi nei propri terreni agricoli limitrofi, dove, nel 2012, l’amministrazione civile israeliana consegnò 50 nuovi ordini di demolizione alle strutture abitative temporanee.

Nel 2014, i palestinesi residenti di Susiya, rappresentati in sede legale dai Rabbini per i Diritti Umani, hanno consegnato una petizione per congelare l’implementazione degli ordini di demolizione. Il 5 maggio 2015, l’alta corte israeliana ha rifiutato questa richiesta, permettendo così la distruzione del villaggio palestinese.

Attualmente, per gli abitanti di Susiya,  la minaccia di essere sgomberati e deportati nuovamente sta diventando ogni giorno più incombente.

PRESS RELEASE | MAY 5 2015

Israeli state pushes court to take unusual step threatening immediate demolition of entire Palestinian village 

The entire Palestinian village of Susya is in danger of demolition and expulsion. By refusing to issue an interim order preventing preemptive demolitions before their case is heard, the Israeli High Court is allowing for the demolition of the entire Palestinian village of Susya and subsequent expulsion of its 340 residents. The refusal of the State to commit to not demolishing before the conclusion of proceedings suggests it has plans to destroy the village in the near future.  

On one hand, the High Court of Justice is willing to hear the village’s petition to legitimize its status, but on the other hand, the court allows the village to be destroyed before even deciding on the case. 

On May 5 2015, High Court Judge Noam Solberg rejected the request for an interim order by the Palestinian village of Susya, represented by Rabbis for Human Rights, in a petition against the Civil Administration’s decision to reject the master plan prepared by the village and subsequent demolition of the entire village. 

The village argued that their plan was rejected for non-professional reasons and that the village should be legalized due to its unique history.  The residents sought an interim order to freeze the implementation of the demolitions until the petition is heard, as is standard practice in these sort of cases.It was against this request for an interim order that Justice Solberg, without even conducting a hearing on the request, made the unusual move of granting the state’s request not to freeze the orders. This decision means that the Civil Administration can now destroy Susya at any time. The demolition of the village will lead to hundreds of residents living in the desert with no roof over their heads and may result in their displacement. The state’s refusal to commit to waiting for a conclusion to the court proceedings raises great alarm that it intends to implement the demolition order in the near future; tragically, it seems the villagers are in real danger.

In the petition, Susya’s residents claimed that the army is obliged to legalize their village as it was the one to confiscate their land and their caves in 1986, leaving them without a housing solution and forcing them to move to their adjacent agricultural lands. As evidence to the life in the village prior to the expropriation, various testimonials and photographs of life in caves were presented to the judge. Among other things, there were documented photos of a visit by the US Consulate to the village at the beginning of 1986. The photos and testimony clearly shows that the Palestinian village of Susya is an old village formed prior to the Israeli occupation and the declaration of the area as an archaeological site.

Among the evidence was the opinion of the late governmental legal adviser Plia Albeck (considered to be very pro-settlement and who wrote in her memoirs that she tried to find legal ways to declare Palestinian land as State land), indicating the existence of a Palestinian village in 1982 where today the archaeological site stands.

Despite the evidence presented before him, revealing the many injustices done to the villagers – from the expropriation and dispossession of their lands, to the refusal by the state to recognize the status of the village in its new location –  Judge Sohlberg did not  agree to  hear the case before allowing the demolishment the village and setting the fate of its inhabitants.

Attached to the petition, inter alia, was an expert opinion by Prof. Eyal Benvenisti, a renowned expert in international law, stipulating that the demolition of the village of Susya constitutes a war crime.

This week, a report by radical right-wing NGO “Regavim” (which has close ties to the settlement enterprise) was exposed indicating that in the nearby Jewish settlement, also called Susia, there are 23 illegal homes built on private Palestinian land. We have no indication of any attempt by the state to demolish these illegal structures in the settlement Sussia or in its nearby outposts. We see in this current situation that this Jewish settlement, whose very existence is prohibited by international law, and where some of its homes are sitting on private Palestinian land, is prosperous, while the Palestinian village of Susya, whose inhabitants are on their own private land, is at risk of displacement and  loss of their entire village.

Background:

In 1986 the village of Susya was declared an archaeological site, its land expropriated, and its inhabitants, who lived in caves, were deported. While the Palestinians were told that they could not reside in an archeological site, Israeli settlers live in an illegal outpost located inside the archeological site.

After the expulsion, villagers were forced to move to their neighboring agricultural plots. Because there was no willingness to grant a zoning plan, they involuntarily became illegal builders. Dozens of villagers followed procedures in attempts to obtain building permits, but those attempts were rejected. In 2012 the villagers raised funds and submitted a proposed master plan, drawn up by Professor Rassem Khamaiseh, for the Civil Administration for review.  The plan would authorize construction in the village according to accepted standards of professional planning.

The plan was rejected in 2013 on very questionable grounds, indicating a double standard in planning, and blatant discrimination against the Palestinian population. For example, it was argued that the number of residents in the village, which is a few hundred people, is not substantial enough to grant it independent planning as its own entity.  On the other hand, dozens of unauthorized outposts which are built housing only a handful of residents are approved by the Civil Administration’s planning body. In addition, it was argued that the plan will prevent the population from properly developing and moving out of poverty, and therefore, they should be moved to an adjacent city. It should be noted that the city is, of course, in Area A, and what actually prevents the progress of Susya is the lack of infrastructure which they are prevented from building. Also important to note is that Israelis are permitted to choose their preferred way of life – be it urban or rural, and are not forced by the state into one or the other.

In 2014, Rabbis for Human Rights petitioned the High Court on behalf of the Susya village council and its residents against the decision to reject the village master plan (HCJ 1420/14). As mentioned, on May 5th the court rejected the request for an interim injunction, leaving the whole village vulnerable to imminent demolition.

The big picture:

The danger of demolishing and expropriating the village of Susya reflects the systemic problem of planning for Palestinian villages located in Area C; in these villages, planning is done by military planning committees, without representation of Palestinians, with the intent of preventing residents from building on their own land based on reasonable and professional planning standards. A recent High Court petition, submitted by the village council Dirat, Rabbis for Human Rights, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Society, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, and St. Yves – Catholic Human Rights Center, demands  planning authority be returned to Palestinian villages for their own communities in order to prevent the tragic demolitions of hundreds of homes every year due to the impossibility of obtaining building permits.

Link to the article : Rabbis for Human Rights

On may 2,  a group of 4 adult settlers (one of them armed) harassed one Palestinian with his son, while they were going back home through Humra valley. The settlers waited for them in a close military area for Israeli. The Palestinians decided to call OD volunteers who accompanied them until Meshaha Valley.When the Internationals arrived, the settlers moved to Palestinian village of Kharrouba (that was evicted in 1999) and entered caves and houses.

In the past two days another episode of harassment took place.

On may 1,  2 Palestinians (a 6 years old child, with his sister) were harassed and chased by settlers, while they were going back home to the Palestinian village of Tuba.When Palestinians accompanied by OD volunteers arrived near Shab el Shamsti a group of 6 settlers started to scream and run towards them.The Palestinians got scared and escaped in order to reach a safer place.

This is an alarming trend because the ongoing settlers’ harassment of Palestinians and damage of Palestinian property increases the difficulties and the dangers that inhabitants of South Hebron Hills have to face daily, living under Israeli occupation in area “C”.

(italian follows)

Il due maggio, un gruppo di quattro coloni, di cui uno armato, hanno intimidito un uomo palestinese con suo figlio, mentre stavano tornando a casa percorrendo Humra Valley. I coloni hanno aspettato i palestinesi in una zona militare chiusa per gli israeliani. I palestinesi hanno deciso di chiamare i volontari di Operazione Colomba che li hanno accompagnati fino a Meshaha Valley.Dopo l’arrivo degli internazionali, i coloni si sono spostati verso il villaggio palestinese di Kharrouba (evacuato nel 1999), entrando nelle grotte e nelle case.

Un altro episodio intimidatorio si è verificato negli ultimi due giorni.

Il primo maggio, due palestinesi (un bambino di sei anni con sua sorella) sono stati inseguiti dai coloni, mentre stavano tornando verso casa, al villaggio palestinese di Tuba.Quando i palestinesi, accompagnati da due volontari internazionali di Operazione Colomba, sono arrivati vicino a Shab el Shamsti, un gruppo di sei coloni ha iniziato a urlare e a correre verso di loro.I palestinesi, spaventati, sono scappati per raggiungere un luogo più sicuro.

Questo è un trend preoccupante dal momento che le continue intimidazioni da parte dei coloni, i danneggiamenti alle proprietà palestinesi aumentano notevolmente le difficoltà e i rischi che gli abitanti delle Colline a Sud di Hebron affrontano giornalmente, vivendo sotto l’occupazione israeliana in area “C”.

Four Palestinians arrested for harvesting herbs in the South Hebron Hills

(Italian follows)

March 18, 2015

At Tuwani – On March 17,  around 4 pm, Israeli soldiers detained a group of 10 Palestinian young men that were harvesting seasonal herbs in a Palestinian land near to the Israeli illegal outpost of Mitzpe Yair. After one hour the Israeli police arrived and arrested four of the Palestinians, taking them to Kiryat Arba police station.

March is the month in which Palestinians harvest this kind of herbs. Since the settlers, supported by Israeli forces, are attempting to annex the Palestinian land, even the simple activity of collecting herbs become dangerous, especially when the fields are located near to the Israeli settlements and outposts.

In the last two weeks International volunteers witnessed several settler’s attacks, army harassment and even arrest against Palestinians harvesting herbs on their own lands.

Quattro palestinesi arrestati nelle colline a sud di Hebron per aver raccolto erbe

18 Marzo 2015

At Tuwani – Il 17 Marzo, alle 16 circa, soldati israeliani hanno detenuto 10 giovani palestinesi che stavano raccogliendo erbe nelle proprie terre vicine all’avamposto israeliano illegale di Mitzpe Yair. Dopo averli trattenuti per un’ora, all’arrivo della polizia, quattro dei ragazzi sono stati arrestati e portati alla stazione di polizia di Kiryat Arba.

Marzo è il mese in cui questo tipo di erbe vengono raccolte, ma per i palestinesi anche un’attività semplice come questa può diventare molto pericolosa. I coloni israeliani, con l’appoggio dell’esercito e della polizia, tentano continuamente di annettere le terre palestinesi, in particolar modo quelle vicine alle colonie o agli avamposti, scacciando i palestinesi quando questi provano ad accedervi per lavorarle, o come in questo caso anche solo per raccogliervi erbe.

Nelle ultime due settimane i volontari internazionali sono stati testimoni di diversi attacchi da parte dei coloni e tentativi di arresto da parte dell’esercito israeliano a danno dei palestinesi che lavoravano all’interno delle proprie terre.

PRESS RELEASE

Israeli police arrest Palestinian shepherd in South Hebron Hills

Settlers and Israeli authorities continue to chase away Palestinians from their own lands.

(Italian follows)

March 13, 2015

At Tuwani – South Hebron Hills, West Bank

On the morning of March 12, Israeli police arrested a Palestinian shepherd from At Tuwani village as he grazed his flock in the valley of Meshaha, near to the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma’on.

At about 11 am, two Israeli soldiers came out from the outpost of Havat Ma’on and they stopped a Palestinian shepherd that was grazing his flock on Meshaha valley, accompanied by International volunteers. The soldiers held the shepherd’s documents until the arrival of the police, at about 12:15 pm. The Israeli police collected the charges from one settler, that witnessed the shepherd grazing his flock in a forbidden area. Although the mediation of the lawyers and the request of DCO intervention, in order to clarify the status of the challenged lands, the police decided to arrest the shepherd. At about 1:30 pm, the shepherd was taken to Kyriat Arba police station and he was released at about 4 pm.

The Palestinian lands in front of Havat Ma’on outpost, which is considered illegal also under Israeli law, are object of the outpost expansion. The Israeli authorities prevent the Palestinians from accessing their own lands, even when they try to respect the unlawful restrictions imposed by the occupying forces. It shows the specious nature of these measures focused on the expropriation de facto of the Palestinians lands.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Pictures of the incident: http://goo.gl/9A5fsU

For further information: Operation Dove, 054 99 25 773

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]

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COMUNICATO STAMPA

La polizia israeliana arresta un pastore palestinese nelle colline a sud di Hebron

Coloni ed autorità israeliane continuano a scacciare i palestinesi dalle proprie terre

13 marzo 2015

At Tuwani – Colline a sud di Hebron, Cisgiordania

Il 12 marzo la Polizia israeliana ha arrestato un pastore palestinese del villaggio di At Tuwani che stava pascolando il suo gregge nella valle di Meshaha, vicino l’avamposto illegale israeliano di Havat Ma’on.

Intorno alle ore 11:00 due soldati israeliani sono usciti dall’avamposto di Havat Ma’on e hanno fermato un pastore palestinese che stava pascolando il gregge presso la valle di Meshaha, accompagnato da volontari internazionali. I soldati hanno trattenuto i suoi documenti per oltre un’ora, fino all’arrivo della polizia, alle ore 12:15. Dopo aver raccolto le accuse di un colono che sosteneva di aver visto il pastore pascolare in un’area vietata ai palestinesi, la polizia ha deciso di arrestare il pastore. A nulla è valsa la mediazione degli avvocati e la richiesta che intervenisse la DCO (District Coordination Office) per far luce sullo status delle terre contese. Alle ore 13:30 il pastore è stato condotto alla stazione di polizia di Kyriat Arba, dalla quale è stato rilasciato alle ore 16.

Le terre palestinesi antistanti l’avamposto di Havat Ma’on sono obiettivo di espansione dell’insediamento che, va ricordato, è illegale secondo lo stesso diritto israeliano. Le autorità israeliane impediscono ai palestinesi il libero accesso alle proprie terre, anche quando questi cercano di rispettare le illegittime limitazioni imposte dalle forze occupanti. Questa è la dimostrazione della natura pretestuosa di questi provvedimenti mirati di fatto all’espropriazione delle terre palestinesi.

Operazione Colomba mantiene una presenza costante nel villaggio di At-Tuwani e nell’area delle colline a sud di Hebron dal 2004.

Foto dell’incidente: http://goo.gl/9A5fsU

Per informazioni: Operazione Colomba, +972 54 99 25 773

[Note: secondo la IV Convenzione di Ginevra, la II Convenzione dell’Aja, la Corte Internazionale di Giustizia e numerose risoluzioni ONU, tutti gli insediamenti israeliani nei Territori Palestinesi Occupati sono illegali. Gli avamposti sono considerati illegali anche secondo la legge israeliana.]

School patrol military escort delays twice this week.

At Tuwani, December 10 – On December 8 the military escort arrived at the meeting point at 8:16 am and on December 10 at 8:28 am. The Israeli soldiers are supposed to be at the meeting point at 7:30 am and wait for the Palestinian children from Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed villages (South Hebron Hills) to arrive, in order to safely accompany them to school in At Tuwani village for the all path. The arranged meeting point is a very dangerous spot, attached to Ma’on Israeli settlement’s chicken barns and just a few meters away from Havat Ma’on Israeli illegal outpost. In Havat Ma’on violent national-religious Israeli settlers live, the ones from whom Palestinian children need protection in order to reach the school as safely as possible.

From the beginning of the school year the military escort arrived late in 5 of the total mornings, therefore children missed a total of more than 2 hours of school.

On December 10, while waiting the escort to arrive, Palestinian children were verbally harassed by Israeli settlers from Havat Ma’on Israeli illegal outpost who shouted to them.

2014 is the tenth year since when in 2004, after several settler violent attacks toward Palestinian children and International volunteers, the DCO issued a verbal order for a daily escort of the schoolchildren; the Israeli Knesset Committee for Children’s Rights later confirmed this order. According to the initial agreement between DCO and the major of At Tuwani, Palestinian children must use the shortest route to reach the school (about 2.5 km from Tuba and Maghayir Al Abeed). The shortest route is the road that passes between the land where the Israeli settlement of Ma’on sits from 1982 and the Hill 833, where in 2001 the outpost of Havat Ma’on was built. This is the only viable road between Tuba and At Tuwani, after 2001 settler violence became so intense that it deterred Palestinians from using it.

Since 2004 International volunteers have monitored every day the Israeli military escort and have registered several misconducts: lack of punctuality, refusal to walk with the children, refusal to complete the escort, negligence in protecting the children in case of harassments from the settlers. Also, when the military escort doesn’t come Palestinian children have to walk through a longer (about one and half hour) and still dangerous way, very close to Havat Ma’on.

10 Palestinian schoolchildren from Tuba waiting for the military escort to arrive at the arranged meeting point. Behind them there is Ma’on Israeli settlement and in front of them Havat Ma’on Israeli illegal outpost.

Havat Ma’on Israeli illegal outpost was built in 2001 on “Tel Abu Jundyia” Palestinian owned land, also called Hill 833.

La scorta militare israeliana per gli studenti palestinesi arriva in ritardo due volte questa settimana.

At Tuwani, 10 dicembre – Il giorno 8 dicembre la scorta militare è arrivata al punto d’incontro alle 8:16 e il giorno 10 dicembre alle 8:28. I soldati israeliani dovrebbero trovarsi al punto d’incontro concordato alle 7:30 e aspettare che i bambini palestinesi dei villaggi di Tuba e Maghyir Al Abeed (colline a sud di Hebron) arrivino, così da poterli scortare a scuola nel villaggio di At Tuwani per tutto il percorso. Il punto d’incontro concordato è un posto pericoloso, adiacente le stalle dei polli della colonia israeliana di Ma’on e a pochi metri di distanza dall’avamposto israeliano illegale di Havat Ma’on. Nell’avamposto di Havat Ma’on vivono violenti coloni nazional–religiosi, a causa di questi ultimi i bambini palestinesi hanno bisogno di protezione per arrivare a scuola nel modo più sicuro possibile.

Dall’inizio dell’anno scolastico la scorta militare è arrivata in ritardo in 5 mattine, questo ha fatto si che i bambini perdessero un totale di più di 2 ore di scuola.

Il 10 dicembre, mentre aspettavano la scorta, i bambini sono stati verbalmente attaccati con urla e fischi dai coloni dell’avamposto israeliano illegale di Havat Ma’on.

Il 2014 è il decimo anno da quando nel 2004, dopo ripetuti atti di violenza dei coloni verso bambini palestinesi e volontari internazionali, la DCO (District Coordination Office, una branca dell’esercito israeliano che si occupa dell’amministrazione civile dei territori occupati palestinesi) ha emesso un ordine verbale per la presenza di una scorta che accompagnasse gli studenti; poco dopo la Commissione per i Diritti dei Bambini del Parlamento Israeliano ha confermato l’ordine. Stando ad un accordo iniziale tra la DCO ed il sindaco di At Tuwani, i bambini palestinesi devono usare la via più breve per raggiungere la scuola (circa 2,5 km da Tuba e Maghayir Al Abeed). La via più breve è la strada che passa in mezzo alla terra su cui dal 1982 si trova la colonia israeliana di Ma’on e la Hill 833, collina sulla quale nel 2001 è stato costruito l’avamposto israeliano illegale di Havat Ma’on. Questa è l’unica strada percorribile tra Tuba ed At Tuwani, dal 2001 la violenza dei coloni l’ha resa impraticabile ai palestinesi.

Volontari internazionali monitorano la scorta militare ogni giorno dal 2004, e da allora registrano diverse mancanze: mancanza di puntualità, rifiuto di camminare con i bambini, rifiuto di completare il percorso, negligenza nel proteggere i bambini in caso di violenza da parte dei coloni. In più, quando la scorta militare non si presenta, i bambini palestinesi devono percorrere una strada più lunga (che gli richiede circa 1 ora e mezza) e comunque pericolosa, molto vicina ad Havat Ma’on.

New water tanks were needed to provide Palestinian inhabitants drinkable water.

(Italian follows)

November 21, 2014
At Tuwani – On November 20, the Israeli forces seized a tractor, its truck, four water tanks and three tanks’ bases from the Palestinian village of Susiya.
In the early morning DCO officers approached the Palestinian village to take pictures of the ongoing works to install four new water tanks. In the early afternoon DCO officers returned with Israeli army, police, two trucks, one of which with a mechanical arm.

The tractor and its truck, that carried water cisterns and their bases, were seized with the accuse of being used for illegal works, since Palestinians didn’t have permissions to install new water tanks. Tanks and bases were seized without any previous issued demolition order under the pretext that they were not yet installed on the ground.
Water tanks were geared of filters to provide drinkable water and were donated to the Palestinian village because of the lack of drinkable water that effects all the South Hebron Hills area.

The Palestinian village of Susiya is located in area C, under Israeli military and civil administration, and it is surrounded by the Israeli settlement of Suseya, the outpost of Suseya’s Ancient Synagogue and the military base of Suseya North. Around the settlement and the military base there are 26 wells and water cisterns that Palestinians are forbidden to use even if they are on Palestinian private proprieties. Even more, DCO doesn’t allow Palestinian residents of Susiya to connect to Israeli Makorot Company’s water pipes that run right through the Palestinian village and bring water from the settlement of Suseya to the outpost of Ancient Synagogue.

Palestinian residents of Susiya pay 35 NIS per cubic meter of tanked water, six times more than the nearby settlement, which is served by the network. Water consumption of Palestinians in Susiya is 28 liters/capita/day, significantly less than the 70 l/c/d consumed by an average Palestinian and well below the World Health Organization standard of 100 l/c/d. (source OCHA OPT)

The Palestinian inhabitants of Susiya are struggling through the nonviolent popular resistance in order to gain the right to access their own lands and to live a dignified life.
Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Pictures of the incident: http://goo.gl/AUCv8x

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]