Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, November 21, 2017
In light of the international silence policy towards the Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) in general and in East Jerusalem in particular, which has become a concerning phenomenon that threats the world countries’ respect or the application of international humanitarian law, the Israeli Government has continued its settlement activities in the oPt, in an unprecedented manner, for 50 years. Few days after the Israeli Government’s decision to expel Palestinian Bedouins residing the Pope Mountain Community in al-Izzariyah village, east of occupied Jerusalem, for the interest of settlement projects in the area, the Israeli Government, supported by the Israeli Supreme Court’s decisions, which violate the international law, is planning to blow up 6 residential buildings in Matar neighborhood in Qalandiya, north of occupied Jerusalem. The Israeli Government intends to displace more than 300 Palestinian civilians, rendering them homeless. At the time, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) emphasizes the legal status of East Jerusalem as a city under occupation, PCHR also stresses that these Israeli measures are part of the Israeli government’s plans to create a Jewish Majority in the occupied city. PCHR also calls upon the international community to fulfill their moral and legal obligation and take an immediate action to stop the implementation of this new plan and all settlement activities in the oPt.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 06:00 on Monday, 20 November 2017, large force of Israeli soldiers accompanied with a staff from the Israeli Municipality Explosive Engineering Unit moved into Matar neighborhood in Kafer ‘Aqab village, north of occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli municipality staff took measurements of 6 residential buildings in the neighborhood and declared the intention to blow up 6 residential buildings under the pretext that the buildings are close to the unused Qalandiya Military Airport, in addition to building a street in the area. These buildings include dozens of apartments, sheltering hundreds of civilians…