Subject:                Press Advisory: Imminent Demolitions Near Bethlehem
Date sent:              Tue, 5 Apr 2005 09:26:34 +0200
Priority:               Urgent
From:                   "PLO Negotiations Dept." <PLO_NegotiationsDept@nsu-
pal.org>


Press Advisory: Demolishing Um Rukba South
PLO Negotiations Support Unit
April 5, 2005


Alert:
Israeli High Court Expected to Rule This Morning
On March 29, 2005 the Israeli military issued 8 notifications of
impending demolitions for 10 structures in Um Rukba South in the
Bethlehem area. The structures, mostly family homes, house 58
Palestinians and comprise 80% of the neighborhood’s total area.
Um Rukba South is a neighborhood of al-Khader, a town adjacent to
Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The nearby settlement of Efrat (app.
Pop. 7,000) and two settlement outposts—Giv’at HaDagan and Giv’at
HaTamar—have been expanding northward, encroaching upon Um Rukba’s land.


(For a map of the area, please visit
http://www.nad-plo.org/maps/wall/pdf/Um%20Rukba.pdf).


Villagers were given three days to appeal the final demolition orders.
While some of the initial demolition orders were issued years ago,
Thursday’s final demolition notifications are in keeping with a pattern
of activity now seen around the West Bank to make room for the Wall and
settlement expansion.
Attorney Osama Halabi appealed to the Civil Administration Planning
Authority yesterday, pleading for a stay of execution on the orders. The
appeal was rejected. This morning, the Israeli Supreme Court is expected
to rule on the matter. If denied, Israel will likely imminently demolish
the homes—although the actual time(s) and date(s) may not be disclosed in
advance.
The structures include 6 homes, 3 chicken barracks, and a water well—all
of which straddle the Palestinian road once used to access al-Khader’s
agricultural lands. Years ago, Israel transformed the road into a settler
access road for Efrat, restricting Palestinian use and confiscating large
tracts of land for the outposts of Giv’at HaTamar and Giv’at HaDagan. By
sealing this road to Palestinian vehicular use, Israel effectively cut
off Um Rukba South from its mother village of Al-Khader.
On February 20, 2005 the Israeli Cabinet approved a revised Wall route.
According to this route, the Wall in Bethlehem would have dipped at least
5kms into the occupied West Bank, but most of Um Rukba South would have
remained on the “Palestinian” side of the Wall.


(For an assessment of the revised Wall route, see
http://www.nad-plo.org/inner.php?view=news-updates_f19bp;


for a map of the revised Wall route, see
http://www.nad-plo.org/maps/wall/pdf/wallcolonies.pdf.)


These targeted demolitions and nearby settlement expansion, however,
suggest a different intention. Now it appears that Israel might re-route
the Wall to incorporate the settler access-road, which links Efrat
directly to Jerusalem (via Highway 60).


The orders are as follows:


OsamaSalah: Chicken Barracks (Military Order No. 12972)
JamilBalbul: House (Military Order No 848) 19 People.
3/4/5. Owner Hassan Dadoah: 2 Chicken Barracks and Water Well (Military
Order No. 356)


MohammadMusa: House (Military Order No. 5056) 11 people
AbdelSalem Salah: House (Military Order No. 3075) 9 people
MahmoudSalah: House (Military Order No. 5172) 8 people
MohammadSalah: House (Military Order No. 12196) 5 people
IbrahimSalah: House (Military Order No. 12195) 6 people


Gregory Khalil
Legal Advisor, Negotiations Support Unit
Ramallah, Israeli-Occupied Palestinian Territory
+972-2-296-3741
Fax: +972-296-3740
Mobile: +972-(0)546-401-193
Alternate Email: gregory_khalil@yahoo.com