URGENT: Flood MPs and Media about Demolitions

URGENT ACTION BULLETIN - November 2020

Flood MPs and Media with Response

70 structures demolished & 73 people displaced in the Jordan Valley

Photo: OCHA

Following a warning of just ten minutes, 73 Palestinians, including 41 children, were made homeless on 3 November 2020, when Israeli authorities demolished more than 70 structures in the rural herding community of Khirbet Humsa, east of in Tubas in the Jordan Valley.

Locals reported that six bulldozers, accompanied by around 100 Israeli soldiers, carried out the demolitions, leaving 11 Palestinian families homeless.

The demolitions were the largest operation ordered by the Israeli Civil Administration in the last ten years as homes, toilet blocks, livelihood and animal-related structures, solar panels and numerous water tanks were destroyed. In addition, most of the residents’ personal belongings, furniture and animal fodder were destroyed; a tractor and a car confiscated, leaving the small community completely devastated and in ruins.

Khirbet Humsa, known as Humsa al-Bqaiaa in Arabic, is one of 38 communities fully or partially located within what Israel has designated firing zones and which represent some of the most vulnerable communities that live in harsh conditions in the West Bank.

Israeli authorities state the community did not have a permit to reside in this area despite these families having rented this land for generations from Palestinians owners. Israel designated this area a firing zone in 1972 and claims that the families must leave for their own safety. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) say that Israel established 18 percent of the West Bank a firing zone, which affecting thousands of Palestinians.

Israeli demolitions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are at a four-year high despite the COVID-19 outbreak. ICAHD’s October Demolition and Displacement Reportstates that last month 43 structures were demolished in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and that within the state of Israel, the unrecognized village of Al-Araqib in the Naqab/Negev was demolished for the 179th time . In total, 41 Palestinians were displaced, and another 1515 people’s lives were affected

Photo: Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign

Photo: OCHA - with view of Jordan to the east

Photo: Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign

Among the demolished structures were those funded by the European Union and other European governmental and non-governmental institutions. Flood Media and MPs with Response

Write to these main media outlets now. Send a message in the body of the email (no attachments) and include your name, address, and phone number. Suggestions for inclusion – decide your focus: * Express gratitude for article * Always highlight that Israel is the occupying power – this is not a “conflict” between two equals * Since 1967 when Israel’s occupation began, Israeli authorities have demolished over 55,000 Palestinian homes and structures vital for living within the Occupied Palestinian Territory * In 99% of the cases every aspect of Israel’s demolition and displacement policy is in gross violation of international law (the 4^th Geneva Convention) * Palestinians must apply to Israel for planning permission, but it is rarely granted. Meanwhile Israel proceeds to construct thousands of illegal Israeli settlement units on occupied Palestinian land * The United Nations reports these violations and yet the world has remained silent * Israel will not stop and will continue to clear the Jordan Valley and other locations of vital interest to it such as East Jerusalem and the South Hebron Hills * Request more coverage of Israel’s apartheid policies over the Palestinian people * Our government must bring Israel to account – words are not enough, impose effective sanctions * End home demolitions now

See articles here:

Write to guardian.letters@theguardian.com

Watch film footage & send link to your MP B’Tselem film about the demolition on 3rd November - https://www.btselem.org/video/20201105_israel_demolishes_entire_community_on_us_elections_day

You can find contact details for your MP here .

Between the first webinar and today, there have been noteworthy developments, including progress in the formal complaint lodged by Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights – we will highlight these.

Speakers will discuss the JCB dealerships campaign, looking at taking this forward, exploring the next steps in establishing a national campaign, including learning from local groups, and how to progress such campaigning in covid times. The same applies to the campaign to persuade the NSPCC to sever its links with JCB, given that company’s obviously compromised position.

Both strands of the campaign offer opportunities for everyone to make a contribution and help to put a stop to JCB’s complicity in demolitions in Palestine which cause so much damage and transgress so many moral and legal boundaries

To register for the webinar on Wednesday, 11^th November click here . Currently there are occasional problems in accessing the website. If links do not open, do try again a little later. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Many thanks for your ongoing support. If you're not already a member of ICAHD UK, please consider joining us to enable our campaign to spread at this critical time in history. From all at ICAHD UK

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