RAMALLAH: A Palestinian legal institution accused the Israeli military authorities of making a unilateral decision to empty portions of Area C in the West Bank by demolishing buildings and agricultural facilities of Palestinian communities without prior notice.
The Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid accused the Israeli Civil Administration, the executive arm of the Israeli Defense Forces, and the Supreme Organization Council of serving the alleged occupation plans of Israel for emptying Area C.
The center said that it was surprised to receive a brief response from the Israeli authorities, which stated that “submitting a detailed plan does not freeze or prevent the implementation of the demolition decision in the construction files.”
According to the center, presenting a detailed plan is a procedure that has been followed for years and that it is necessary to exhaust legal procedures in place before heading to the administrative court and getting a temporary demolition order.
In recent years, the center’s lawyers have submitted hundreds of detailed plans in the files they are following up on, most of which have not yet had a hearing date set for them.
Abdullah Hammad, director of the local advocacy department at the center, told Arab News: “These Israeli measures put about 700 buildings and agricultural facilities in Area C in danger of being demolished at any moment without waiting for appeal decisions from Israeli courts.”
Hammad explained that this policy prevents Palestinians from investing in Area C because of the lack of protection from demolitions, and makes it impossible to get building licenses from the administration.
He further clarified that those who have invested in the area live in a state of constant anxiety.
According to Hammad, many of the structures under threat of demolition were constructed with European help.
He stressed that from the beginning of this year until the end of June, 500 structures were demolished in Area C, affecting the lives of 150,000 Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the center, in coordination with the legal department of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission and other partners, is conducting intensive consultations to identify legal interventions in response to the Israeli authorities’ actions.
Palestinian sources confirmed to Arab News that successive Israeli governments have consistently forbade Palestinians from building in Area C while allowing the expansion of Israeli settlements at the expense of Palestinian land and water sources.
Meanwhile, sources said that Israel has allowed settlers to fly drones over Area C to monitor the activities of its inhabitants.
The center is adopting various means, the most important of which is to approach the Israeli courts.
Still, the center’s advocates believe that the judicial system of the Israeli occupation is unfair and seeks to legalize the demolitions.
According to the records of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Israel demolished 1,673 facilities and displaced 3,382 people in Area C in 2021.
From 2009 to August 2022, Israel destroyed 8,665 facilities and relocated 12,771 people in the same area.