32 families threatened with eviction and house demolitions

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

The very existence of the Palestinian communities in Al Hadidiya and Khirbet Ar Ras Al Ahmar has been threatened once again by the Israeli occupation authority. On 31st May 09 thirty two families were threatened with eviction or the demolition of their homes. The following details have been published by the United Nations.
* Demolition and eviction orders were distributed yesterday, 31 May 2009, to 32 families in the Jordan Valley. If carried out, the demolitions will potentially displace a combined total of 304 people, including 201 persons given 48 hours or less to evacuate. You will find attached a summary sheet with further information about the location; the number of people affected; and the time given to carry out the evacuation or attend a court session. You will also find attached a copy of one of the distributed orders ("a notice to evacuate a closed area" in Ar Ras Al Ahmar).
* On the basis that people live in a closed military area, the Israeli authorities distributed 15 orders in Al Hadidiya (affecting a total of 167 Palestinians) and 17 orders in Khirbet Ar Ras Al Ahmar (affecting a total of 137 Palestinians). Al Hadidya is located in Al Malih area of the northern Jordan Valley (behind Roi settlement) whereas Khirbet ar Ras al Ahmar is located north of Hamra checkpoint east of Tammun.
* All the orders in Ar Ras Al Ahmar (see e.g. the attached order) informed people that they have to evacuate "immediately". In Al Hadidiya, two families were told to evacuate within 24 hours, four families told to evacuate within 48 hours and the remaining families were order to appear in court in Beit Il on 25 June 2009 (see attached Excel sheet for the breakdown).
* All the persons threatened with displacement are nomadic (Bedouins and otherwise) and currently reside in tents and other similar structures.
* Essentially, all of Al Hadidya received demolition orders except one family. So, as has been consistently the case over the past year, the very existence of Al Hadidiya as a community is at risk. Regarding Ar Ras Al Ahmar, 17 out of 45 families received the orders, in other words more than a third of the community is threatened with displacement.
* A lawyer, appointed by Ma'an, who is currently working on some of the cases, has indicated that some of the orders are labelled eviction notices while others are demolition orders; we have not been able to ascertain the number of orders in each category but the difference is tangential at this stage since all the orders essentially entail that the people leave their current homes.
* On Thursday, 28 May 2009, there were military exercises carried out by the IDF in area near Khirbet Ar Ras Al Ahmar, with injury caused to livestock in the area.
Elin Asgeirsdottir Humanitarian Affairs Officer UN OCHA, Occupied Palestinian Territory