On Monday, Israeli soldiers invaded the Ma’in community in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, and demolished a Palestinian home and a tent.
Media sources said many army vehicles, including bulldozers, invaded the community and demolished an 80-square-meter home owned by Thiab Hamamda.
They added that the soldiers demolished a residential tent on land owned by another Palestinian, Ayed Hamamda.
Osama Makhamra, a local nonviolent activist against illegal Israeli colonialist activities, said the army recently issued many demolition orders targeting homes and structures in the Ma’in area to benefit the illegal colonialist activities on the stolen Palestinian lands.
Earlier Monday, Israeli soldiers demolished an under-construction home in Um Safa village, northwest of Ramallah, in the central part of the occupied West Bank.
Israel’s illegal home demolition policy is internationally prohibited; according to Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, “No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and, likewise, all measures of intimidation or terrorism are prohibited. Pillage is prohibited. Reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited.”
While Israel continues to build and expand its illegal colonies, Palestinian communities and towns in occupied Jerusalem and various areas in the occupied West Bank continue to be denied the right to build homes and property under various allegations meant to prevent the expansion of Palestinian towns and neighborhoods.
Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory.”
