Area C

Israeli authorities demolish Palestinian shepherding community in Jordan Valley

8 January 2014

Update: On the day of the demolition, the six families received tents from the ICRC and erected them at a nearby site. This morning, 13.1.14 soldiers and Civil Administration officers arrived, took down the six tents and confiscated them, leaving the families again without shelter.

A girl from ‘Ein Karzaliyah against the background of the ruins of the community's buildings, 8.1.14
A girl from the community of 'Ein al-Karzaliyah on the background of the demolished houses. Photo: 'Atef Abu A-rub, B'Tselem, 8 Jan. 2014

At about 6:30 A.M. this morning, military forces and Civil Administration personnel arrived at the Palestinian community of Khirbet ‘Ein Karzaliyah in the northern Jordan Valley. They then proceeded to demolish all of the community’s buildings, thereby rendering homeless the entire population – three families comprised of 10 adults and 15 minors. The residents have been left with no shelter for themselves or their livestock in the harsh winter weather conditions. The Israeli military also demolished the only water-pipe available to the residents.

B’Tselem Director Jessica Montell addressed the demolitions in Khirbet ‘Ein Karzaliyah earlier today, saying “Israel has once again forgotten that control entails responsibility. The Jordan Valley cannot be addressed as a merely theoretical issue, discussing its future while completely disregarding the fate of its residents. At the moment, the authorities must set aside their political ambitions and consider the fate of 25 individuals, who do not know how they’ll get through the night and how their flocks, their only source of income and livelihood, will fare.”


Video of the demolition, filmed by a Sujud 'Atiyyah Fathi Bani Maniyah, 15, from the community.

The past few weeks have seen an ongoing public debate in Israel regarding the future of the Jordan Valley, even including the introduction of a bill proposing its annexation to Israel. The domestic Israeli debates as well as the diplomatic debates are being conducted in complete detachment from the reality on the ground in the Jordan Valley, which is home to thousands of Palestinians. These Palestinian residents live in difficult conditions, subject to harassment and continuous threats from Israeli authorities. The current legal status of the Jordan Valley is that of an occupied territory. Israel, as the occupying power, is responsible for the fate of the residents of the Jordan Valley and is obligated to assure their wellbeing. This obligation includes ensuring that residents are afforded the opportunity to build homes for themselves and to make a living. The demolition of the residential compound in Khirbet 'Ein Karzaliyah this morning – against the law and without offering the residents any viable alternative – runs contrary to Israel’s obligations and is in blatant violation of the rules of International Humanitarian Law that Israel has undertaken to uphold.

The Civil Administration determined that the buildings must be demolished, citing the argument that the community is located in a closed military zone used as a firing zone. The expulsion of residents of an occupied territory from their homes for the purpose of military training by the occupying power is unlawful. International Humanitarian Law stipulates that such expulsion is permissible only in the case of imperative military needs or to safeguard the local population.

Stills images from the demolition in our new photo blog, Eyes Wide Open

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תושב ח'ירבת חומסה אל-פוקה עומד בתוך רכוש הקהילה שכוחות ישראליים השליכו ליד עין א-שיבלי. צילום: אורן זיו, אקטיבסטילס, 7.7.21

Communities Facing Expulsion

Court sanctioned war crime committed in broad daylight

Yesterday, Israel committed an attempted forcible transfer – a war crime – against residents of Humsah. In a break from the previous five demolitions in the community within less than a year, yesterday, Israeli soldiers and Civil Administration staff removed the contents of some residents’ homes and transported the items to an area located near ‘Ein Shibli, where Israel has been trying to forcibly relocate residents. Israel misrepresented these actions as being part of dialog and consent, proving, if anyone still entertained any doubts, it is intent on expelling these residents from their homes permanently. The military’s response, as it appeared in the media, highlighted the fact that the attempted expulsion was carried out with the approval of Israel’s High Court of Justice. Indeed, when the ICC looks into forcible transfers as part of its investigation of Israel, it will have to assess the responsibility of justices as well as ministers and top military commanders. On Wednesday, at around 8:00 A.M., soldiers and Civil Administration staff arrived at the community of Khirbet Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley. The forces declared the area a closed military zone and denied journalists, human rights activists and diplomats access. The forces dismantled nine tents and four huts used as residences, as well as 17 agricultural structures, all together belonging to nine families with a total of 61 members, including 34 minors. The forces also destroyed four water tanks, water lines, fencing and farming equipment. The residents’ belongings were loaded onto trucks that transported them to the ‘Ein Shibli community, which lies west of Khirbet Humsah. Community members fled to the mountains with their flocks, leaving the buses brought in to forcibly relocate them to ‘Ein Shibli empty.

9 July 2021

ההריסה בח'ירבת חומסה. צילום: עארף דראר'מה, 7.7.21

Communities Facing Expulsion

Trucks load personal belongings; buses arrive for residents: Israel carries out massive demolition at Humsah for the sixth time in less than a year

This morning, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, Israeli military and Civil Administration personnel arrived at the tent-dwelling community of Khirbet Humsah in the Jordan Valley. According to early reports, the forces have dismantled and confiscated tents housing numerous community members along with everything inside them, loading them onto trucks well into the evening. Buses also arrived at the scene to remove residents who were left without shelter in the sweltering heat. The residents, who refuse to leave, fear they will be expelled by force during the night. Initial reports indicate the forces demolished the homes of at least nine families, leaving 60 people homeless. Soldiers and Civil Administration staff continue to load the contents of the homes onto military trucks at this time. B’Tselem is still collecting exact information about the property that was confiscated and destroyed. What is clear at this moment, however, is that Israel’s attempt to pass its persecution of the community in a bid to forcibly remove it and take over the land as something community members have consented to must be wholly rejected. House demolitions in this community are part of the policy Israel employs throughout the West Bank in an effort to create unbearable living conditions with the ultimate aim of pushing Palestinians to leave their homes, concentrating them in enclaves and taking over their lands. This policy is an attempted forcible transfer of the residents - a war crime under international humanitarian law. The responsibility for this policy lies primarily with the government, which directs it, the top military command, which implements it, and the justices of the Supreme Court, who lend it legal legitimacy. Israel’s actions are also a badge of shame for the international community, which has absolved itself of the obligation to demand Israel respect the human rights of Palestinians living under its control and allowed itself to be satisfied with empty rebukes lacking any practical consequences.

7 July 2021

הריסת מבנה בפסאייל א-תחתא. צילום: עארף דראר'מה, בצלם, 25.11.20

Planning Policy in the West Bank

Israel commits a crime and paints Palestinians as lawbreakers: The homes of 44 Palestinians, including 22 children, were demolished yesterday in the West Bank

As part of Israel’s efforts to take over more land in the West Bank, authorities yesterday destroyed the homes of 44 Palestinians (22 of them minors) and cut off entire communities from the water supply. Some of the homes demolished yesterday were still under construction and not yet occupied. These demolitions are the extreme manifestation of Israel’s policy designed to empty entire areas of the West Bank of their Palestinian residents. Other methods routinely used by Israel are conducting military training in residential and farming areas, denying Palestinians access to land, prohibiting construction, preventing connection to basic infrastructure and confiscating property. With a month left before the end of the year, Israel has demolished the homes of more than 900 Palestinians in 2020 (the figure includes the West Bank and East Jerusalem), compared with 677 in all of 2019. Ramallah Area In the village of a-Lubban al-Gharbiyah, Ramallah District, the Civil Administration demolished the frame of a building still under construction (flooring and columns) set to house a family of eight, including six children. A shack owned and used by another resident as a car repair shop was also demolished. Jordan Valley In Fasayil a-Tahta in the northern Jordan Valley, the Civil Administration: Confiscated two frames for shacks set to house an extended family of seven, including two children. The structures were donated by a humanitarian aid organization after the Civil Administration demolished their residential shacks in previous months. Demolished two shacks housing a family of ten, including four children, as well as a kitchen, an outhouse, livestock pens, a fence and an electrical grid. Demolished eight shacks used by two families, including an outhouse, an animal feed storeroom, a stable, a chicken coop and communal cooking ovens. It also destroyed animal feed. In the Tell a-Samadi community northwest of al-Jiftlik, the Civil Administration confiscated a shack housing a couple as well as a structure used as an outhouse and a water tank donated to the couple by a humanitarian aid organization after forces demolished their shack, outhouse and plastic water tank on 21 October 2020. Masafer Yatta (South Hebron Hills) In Khirbet a-Rakeez, the Civil Administration demolished two residential structures housing a family of six, including three children, and an agricultural structure used by another family in the community. In Khirbet a-Sarurah, the Civil Administration demolished an outhouse owned by a member of the community. In Khirbet Khilet a-Dabe’, two residential structures still under construction were demolished. They were meant to house two families numbering a total of 11 people, including seven children. A structure housing a toilet and a kitchen was also demolished. In Maghayir al-‘Abid, two farming structures and an outhouse owned by a local resident were demolished. Civil Administration personnel cut a 2-kilometer water pipe servicing the communities of al-Fakhit, a-Safai, Maghayir al-‘Abid and a-Taban. The water main cost close to 100,000 Euro, and it was donated by humanitarian organizations. The Civil Administration had already destroyed the water main into Masafer Yatta in February of 2019. It has been restored since, but in October this year, the Civil Administration damaged an internal water pipe servicing the communities of Maghayir al-‘Abid and Khirbet al-Majaz. In Khirbet Jinba, a water tank and part of a wire fence were destroyed, and four olive trees were uprooted. As of late November 2020, at least 919 Palestinians have lost their homes, including at least 460 minors. By comparison, in all of 2019, 677 Palestinians lost their homes, while the numbers for 2018 and 2017 are 397 and 521, respectively. Israel also demolished 330 non-residential structures and facilities over the course of 2020, including humanitarian infrastructure such as cisterns and water and electricity infrastructure that are essential. The demolitions were conducted, once again, just ahead of a significant winter weather system and during a pandemic. Earlier this month, on the eve of the US elections, Israel destroyed the entire community of Khirbet Humsah in the Jordan Valley, in the largest such demolition in a decade. Israel persists in this policy of forcible transfer, bolstered by judgments delivered by its courts, particularly the Supreme Court, and a flaccid response from the international community. Demolitions manifest just one aspect of this criminal policy that will not end until rebuke and demands for compensation are replaced by truly holding Israel accountable for its actions. Attempts to address this policy by other means have ended in failure - failure whose ruins are scattered throughout the West Bank.

26 November 2020