Holy Land: Israeli police stand by as Palestinian homes are damaged
On Tuesday morning (22 September), a Palestinian family from the village of At-Tuwani discovered their recently constructed house had been virtually destroyed overnight. The family believes that Israel settlers from the Ma'on settlement and Havat Ma'on outpost are responsible for the damage. Two of the six houses, built on privately-owned Palestinian land in Humra valley, were damaged during the night.
The family called the Israeli police who came mid-morning to view the damaged house. A police officer told the home owner that he had no grounds to make a complaint about the damage because the Israeli military had previously issued a demolition order for the house.
In July, whilst the homes were being constructed, Israeli settlers from Havat Ma'on outpost shouted at Palestinians working on the houses. One partly constructed house was destroyed on the night of 16 July.
On 20 July 2009 the Israeli military delivered stop work orders on the houses and two other structures, including a cistern. Demolition orders followed on 13 September and the families fear the Israeli military will soon destroy the houses.
The Israeli military severely restricts Palestinian building in the South Hebron Hills area, designated Area C under the Oslo Accords and under full Israeli control. However, the nearby Israeli settlements of Ma'on and Carmel and the outposts of Avigail and Havat Ma'on continue to expand.
Israeli settlers from Ma'on are currently constructing new houses on the south-west side of the settlement. Over the past three months, internationals from Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove have observed settlers constructing numerous new buildings in the nearby Israeli settlements and outposts of Havat Ma'on (Hill 833), Avigail, and
Suseya.
Source: Christian Peacemaker Teams