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Israel destroys Palestinian Homes |
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Friday, 15 February 2008 |
Every single home in the West Bank villages of Humsa and Hadidiya is slated
for destruction. The Israeli army has declared most of the Jordan Valley, where
the villages are situated, as a "closed military area" from which the local
Palestinian population is barred.
The local Palestinian population – which has been there since long before
Israeli forces occupied the area four decades ago – is being put under
increasing pressure to leave the area. On the morning of 6 February, Israeli
army bulldozers destroyed the homes and livelihoods of four Palestinian families
in Hadidiya, in the Jordan Valley area of the occupied West Bank.
More than 30 people and their animals were left without shelter. The families of
Mohammed Ali Sheikh Bani Odeh, Ali Sheikh Musleh Bani Odeh, Omar ‘Arif Mohammad
Bisharat and Mohammed Sahad Bani Odeh included some 20 children.
In the past year, several other Palestinian families in the area have suffered
the same fate. The Israeli army served demolition orders on all the residents of
Hadidiya in April 2007, giving them 10 days to leave their homes. Most of the
villagers moved to nearby Humsa, about a kilometre away.
Four months later, in August, Israeli army bulldozers razed several tents and
animal pens in Humsa, leaving some 40 villagers homeless, and, on 3 January
2008, Israeli forces destroyed 12 homes and as many animal shelters in Fasayl,
further south in the Jordan Valley.
The Palestinian villagers have to travel miles to get water for their basic
needs, but even this is made difficult. Israeli military checkpoints and
blockades restrict their movements on main roads and, last August, their
tractors and water tanks were confiscated by Israeli soldiers. The villagers
could only retrieve these vital items after paying a large fine.
In contrast, Israeli settlements – established in blatant violation of
international law – continue to be expanded in the area and Israeli settlers are
allowed to move freely and use vast quantities of water.
In recent visits to the area, Amnesty International delegates witnessed the
extremely difficult conditions in which the residents of Hadidiya and Humsa are
forced to live, with no running water or electricity. Because they are not
allowed to build houses they live in tents or shacks, but even these have not
been spared by the Israeli bulldozers.
The villagers rebuild their homes each time and have shown their determination
to remain in the area. However, they are no longer able to cultivate their land
and are finding it increasingly difficult to survive.
Source: Amnesty International
Comments posted are the sole opinion of the author and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of AIM. |
