Saturday. Jan 14, 2023

 

Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission:

Since 2015, the Israeli Occupation handed the Palestinian Citizens 5820 Demolition Notifications

According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC), the Israeli occupation authorities have issued 5820 demolition notifications since 2015 in order to restrict Palestinian construction, urban expansion, and natural growth in the Palestinian territories. The highest concentration of these notifications has been in Hebron Governorate, with 1584 notifications, followed by Bethlehem Governorate with 735 notifications, and Ramallah Governorate with 704 notifications.

The Head of the Commission, Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, stated that the Israeli occupation authorities use demolition notifications as an instrument to besiege Palestinians and prevent urban development and expansion in the occupied West Bank, specifically in areas classified “C”. The Israeli occupation's authority control over urban planning in these areas, combined with their refusal to allow Palestinians to create master plans for their villages, has resulted in the Palestinians’ inability to develop and utilize what amounts to 61% of the occupied West Bank. Despite submitting plans aimed at expansion and improvement, these proposals are consistently rejected, as the Israeli occupation seeks to maintain control over these areas as both a means of expanding colonies and as a geographical strategic reserve for the future.

Sha’ban added that 2022 set a new record regarding the number of demolition notifications handed out to Palestinian citizens as the number of these notifications reached a total of 1220 notifications in the occupied West Bank governorates and Jerusalem. By way of comparison, the number of demolition notifications that were handed out in reached a total of 875 in 2021, and 736 in 2020. These numbers indicate that the so-called “Civil Administration” has adopted new policies and directions when it comes to dealing with Palestinian construction and the natural growth of Palestinian villages and towns. The majority of these notifications were handed out in Hebron Governorate, with 400 demolition notifications, followed by Bethlehem Governorate, with 225 notifications. The remaining notifications were handed out in the governorates of Ramallah, Salfit, and Jericho, with more than 100 notifications each.

Sha’ban clarified that the dangerous escalations regarding the demolitions of buildings and institutions in the Palestinian territories these days is due to the density of the demolition notifications issued.  This is a product of the Israeli occupation state’s efforts to carry out the largest possible number of demolitions, especially with the formation of its new right-wing, fascist, extremist government, that wants to besiege Palestinian construction and growth, forcibly displace Palestinians, and evacuate the land in favor of its colonial project.

Sha’ban also pointed out that the Israeli occupation authorities have utilized displacement and deportation measures that exploit the laws enforced in the Palestinian territories prior to 1967. The most significant of these laws is the Jordanian Law Concerning Town, Village, and Building Planning, Temporary Law Number 79 of 1966. These laws were initially aimed at developing population centers and investing in their infrastructure. However, they have turned into a tool for demolishing and besieging Palestinian communities through demolition notifications, construction moratoriums, and forced displacement. These measures are in direct contradiction with internationally recognized basic rights, including the right to housing, land ownership, and development, which are essential for the advancement of human life.

Sha’ban cautioned about the Israeli occupation state's forthcoming plans to intensify the siege against Palestinians and demolish their constructions to evacuate the Palestinian land. He specifically pointed out the dangerous slogans announced by the current fascist government. Consequently, Sha’ban urged the recipients of such notifications to promptly visit the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) offices, carrying their relevant documents, to discard the pretext of the Israeli occupation and safeguard Palestinian buildings in all areas.