Yesterday, at around 1.10 o’clock, Israeli tanks invaded the Jaladeh neighborhood in Jenin, surrounded the home of Rasmi Areef Dufash (59), father Tarek Dufash, who carried out the Adura settlement operation. Israeli forces forcibly evicted seven inhabitants, including five
children, and demolished the building. The owner has been detained at Ansar III in the Negev desert, since April 29, 2002, where he is held in administrative detention. The demolition also caused severe damage to the homes of Rateb Ahmad Dweik, hosting eight inhabitants and Immad Ahmad Dweik, hosting five inhabitants.

At around 1.30, Israeli forces invaded the village of Tel, northwest Nablus, surrounding the home of Yusuf Hamad Rehan Hamas (57), father of Assem Rihan, who carried out the Immanuel operation, on December 12, 2001. Israeli forces forcibly evicted the family from the home, without prior warning, and prevented them from saving any personal belongings. Later, Israeli soldiers planted explosives in the home and detonated them from a distance. The home was completely destroyed. Six other adjacent homes were also demolished. Israeli forces arrested Yusuf Rehan and three of his children, Issam (35), Ja’afer (32), and Mahmoud (18). Another son, Imad has been arrested before and is serving a ten-years sentence since 1998. His other son Muhammad (25) was killed by Israeli forces on November 12, 2001.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces had invaded the village of Taluza, northeast of Nablus, and surrounded the home of Mashhour Muhammad Amer A’waysa (54). Israeli forces forcibly evacuated the home and an Israeli army D9 bulldozer demolished the two-store building. Israeli forces arrested Mashhour and his son Maher (22). Mashhour is the father of Muhammad A’waysa, who carried out the King George Street operation on March 21, 2002. The home demolition caused damage to the home of Ni’aman Aldisi, a two-store building, hosting twelve inhabitants; Assad Fa’our, a two-store building, hosting hosting three; the home of Taleb al-Khatib; the home of Muhammad Sa’adeh, a two-store building, hosting four inhabitants; and the home of Ahmad Sa’eed Salahat, which was totally destroyed.

At the same time, Israeli forces, accompanied by an armed personnel carrier, a D9 bulldozer and military vehicles invaded the town of A’kaba, east of Jenin, surrounding the home of Suheil Ahmad al-Masri (50), father of Aldin al-Masri, who carried out the Jerusalem operation on September 8, 2001. Israeli forces forcibly evicted the 21 inhabitants, including five children. The Israeli D9 bulldozer demolished the two-store building and Israeli forces arrested the father and his three sons, Muhammad (25), Iyad (29), Salah (21). There were taken to an unknown destination.

At around 3 o’clock, Israeli forces invaded the Issi neighborhood, west Hebron, and surrounded the home of Baha Yakeen Nasseraldin. Israeli forces forcibly evicted seven inhabitants. Israeli soldiers planted explosives inside the building and detonated it from a distance. Israeli
forces had previously invaded the home on August 3, 2002. They thought the home belonged to Muhammad Jamal ‘Salem Dweik’ (19) who has been suspected of involvement in the Adura settlement operation on April 27, 2002. After Baha Nasseraldin showed documents proving that the home belonged to himself, the Israeli soldiers left. However, they returned and demolished the home completely. The demolition caused severe damage to the adjacent home, which belongs to Muhammad Khalaf Dwiek, who sold his home to the Nasseraldin family.

One hour later, at around 4 o’clock, Israeli forces invaded al-Salia al-Harithia, west of Jenin, surrounding the home of Issa Khalil As’ad Tahayneh (70), father of Abed Alkarim, who carried out the Afula operation on March 5, 2002. Israeli forces forcibly evicted nine inhabitants and demolished the two-store building. Israeli forces arrested Tahayneh’s four sons, Saber (30), Ghafnan (29), A’on Allah (24) and Muhammad (23).

At the same time, Israeli forces invaded with tanks and armed personnel carriers Kabatia, southeast of Jenin, blocked and surrounded Tazaza street and ordered all residents to leave the area. Israeli forces raided the home of Mahmoud Baker Nasser (70), father of Muhammad Nasser, who carried out the Haifa operation on November 8, 2001. Israeli soldiers planted explosives inside the home and detonated them from a distance. The home, a two-store building, hosting seven inhabitants, including three children. The explosion destructed two adjacent homes and caused damage to an additional eleven homes.

At around 4.45, Israeli forces surrounded the home of Areef Hassan Samoudi (95), in Jabal Abu Thaher in Jenin. They forcibly evicted 25 inhabitants and demolished the building. Israeli forces arrested Samoudi’s sons Allam (29), Issam (26) and Akram (22) and took them to an unknown destination.

At around 6 o’clock, Israeli forces invaded Alyamoun, west of Jenin, and surrounded the home of Muhammad Nimer Yusuf Abu Sifin (50), father of Nimer Abu Sifin, who carried out the Haifa operation on September 12, 2001. Israeli forces forcibly evicted 13 inhabitants, and destroyed the building completely.

Destruction of property in occupied territories is forbidden under article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. It constitutes collective punishment, which explicitly prohibited by article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. It further constitutes extra-judicial punishment and
arbitrary interference in home and property.

Despite the clear illegality of this punitive measure, Israeli occupation authorities have resorted to it throughout the occupation, and have indeed stepped up home demolitions during the second intifada.

LAW believes that nobody should be arrested, detained or exiled where there is no likelihood that he or she committed an offence or where there has been no proper legal process. When an entire family is punished for the suspected deeds of one of its members through the destruction of its home, the arbitrary arrest of family members and possibly the expulsion of family members, there can be little doubt that the punishment is a collective one, primarily affecting people whose only crime is to be related to a person suspected. The punishment of individuals for an action for which they are not personally responsible is properly termed collective punishment.

Also during the previous intifada, Israeli occupation authorities have used this punitive measure as a methodical reprisal against individuals and their families. The demolition of homes of those who have not been tried, convicted, or even arrested, reinforces the conclusion that demolitions are an extra-judicial form of reprisal.

LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment, PO Box 20873, Jerusalem, tel. +972-2-5833530, fax. +972-2-5833317, Email: law@lawsociety.org, web: www.lawsociety.org