PHOTOS: Palestinian homes come down as settlements expand

Twelve homes in a West Bank village are handed demolition orders. Meanwhile, construction continues unabated in West Bank settlements.

Photos and text by Ahmad Al-Bazz / Activestills.org

Israeli authorities construct a new fence around the Israeli settlement of Avnei Hefetz, near Tulkarem, West Bank, January 31, 2017. (Ahmad al-Bazz/Activestills.org)
Israeli authorities construct a new fence around the Israeli settlement of Avnei Hefetz, near Tulkarem, West Bank, January 31, 2017. (Ahmad al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

Twelve Palestinian homes and structures in the West Bank village of Shufa are currently under the threat of demolition, after Israeli authorities handed out seven demolition orders on January 29. The orders previous come on the heels of five demolition orders handed out in the village earlier this month.

The orders were given under the pretext of illegal construction in Area C, which is under full Israeli military and civil control. Residents of the village said they still have 15 days to challenge the orders in Israeli courts.

Palestinians walk beside a bulldozer that is forbidden by Israeli authorities to pave streets on private property, Shufa, West Bank, January 31, 2017. (Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)
Palestinians walk beside a bulldozer that is forbidden by Israeli authorities to pave streets on private property, Shufa, West Bank, January 31, 2017. (Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

Thaer Doroubi, whose new two-floor house is slated for demolition, said he is currently submitting documents to try to halt the order. “This is occupation,” he told +972, “I don’t expect to solve the case by courts, but I will try.”

Thaer Doroubi looks over a home demolition order issued by Israeli authorities for "building without a permit" in Area C, Shufa, near Tulkarem, West Bank, January 31, 2017. There are currently 12 Palestinian homes under the threat of demolition in the village. (Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)
Thaer Doroubi looks over a home demolition order issued by Israeli authorities for “building without a permit” in Area C, Shufa, near Tulkarem, West Bank, January 31, 2017. There are currently 12 Palestinian homes under the threat of demolition in the village. (Ahmad Al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

Doroubi says that he decided to start a life for himself by building his own house in the Area C in his village where he owns a piece of land. “Thereis no more space in the Area B section of the village, that’s why we build in our homes in Area C.” Area B remains under full Israeli military control, although the Palestinian Authority is in charge of civil and administrative matters there.

It is almost impossible for Palestinians in Area C to obtain building permits. As Natasha Roth pointed out, between 2010 and 2014 the Civil Administration granted just 1.5 percent of requests.

On the adjacent hill, Israeli bulldozers continued their construction in the Israeli settlement of Avnei Hefetz. A new path cleared for the settlement’s fence could be clearly seen from Shufa, where residents say they are losing more and more land to the settlement.

Israeli authorities construct a new fence around the Israeli settlement of Avnei Hefetz, near Tulkarem, West Bank, January 31, 2017. (Ahmad al-Bazz/Activestills.org)
Israeli authorities construct a new fence around the Israeli settlement of Avnei Hefetz, near Tulkarem, West Bank, January 31, 2017. (Ahmad al-Bazz/Activestills.org)

Despite the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which demands Israel stop its settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel continues construction efforts in a number of Israeli settlements.

Last Tuesday, Israel approved the construction of approximately 2,500 new housing units in West Bank. On Wednesday morning it announced the construction of another 3,000 units in the occupied territories.

Related:
West Bank demolitions: Building up and tearing down on the way to annexation
Israel issuing Palestinian building permits to further West Bank land grab