Abdulhadi Yusuf Hantash is an authority on land theft and founder of the non-profit Hebron Land Defense Committee. His annual Report was sent on by my friend Mary Yoder, who met Hantash through her work with Christian Peacemaker Teams. Yoder sponsored Hantash’s four trips to the U.S., during which he met around 30 congressional aides, including–in 2007–Obama’s Senatorial aide. The facts Hantash lays out are stark and, because English is not his first language, I have edited the text slightly for clarity.
Special Report: Attacks by the Israeli occupying forces and settlers in Hebron in 2012, by Abdulhadi Yusuf Hantash
The year 2012 was the worst in terms of the crimes of the Israeli occupation in Hebron. Hebron, the city and nearby villages, is targeted heavily and suffers under these crimes by the occupation forces and settlers on a daily basis. Even at the political level, politicians turn a blind eye to all these crimes; the media obfuscates and covers up all these crimes and attacks. The following data show the size and seriousness of the crimes:
A- Martyrs The number of martyrs: 7:
2 were children, martyred by the explosion of a mortar shell, remnants of the Israeli occupation; 3 were people fired on by the Israeli occupation forces; 2 were people fired on by one of the settlers, in the areas of Seir Yatta and Hebron.
B – The confiscation of land and dredging operations and what followed
1-Bulldozing land: 2235 acres operations were concentrated in the areas of: Hebron – Beit Ummar – Yatta –beit Ula-Dhahreya- Dura
2-Land surveys and marking: The process has included more than 250 acres in the areas of Dura -Yatta and Hebron.
3-Burning and uprooting trees: burning and uprooting 1630 trees in the areas of Yatta – Beit Ummar
4-The destruction of the high walls: 10 cases
C – Demolitions and other attacks
1-Demolitions of homes and tents and Albaraksat and sheep pens and rooms and agricultural wells and mosques: 79, including a mosque demolition and 34 state water wells and appointed. Demolition operations were concentrated in areas of Hebron – Yatta – Beit Ula.
2-Demolition notices: 93 notices, concentrated in the areas of: Yatta – Beit Awwa – Dhahreya – Ramadeen – Seir – Hebron – Beit Ummar – Arroub – Dura.
3-Notifications to stop building: 374 notices, concentrated in the areas of: Hebron – Dura – Samu – Yatta – Beit Ummar – Dhahreya-Idna – Tarqumiya – Bani Naim
4-Eviction orders: 16, including 370 acres of Palestinian land in Yatta areas – Surif – Kharas – Dhahreya-Dura - in addition to other areas of the governorate.
D – Israeli military operations
1-Raids of houses: 1182 houses suffered raids in various parts of the province
2-Storming institutions and workshops: 6 cases
3-Trapping houses: 9 cases and the house stops being a home.
4-Inspections of houses: 1200.
5-Maliciously mixing up foodstuffs: 5 cases.
6-Smashing the contents of the houses: 10 cases.
7-Inspect homes: 20 cases
8-Keep children away from their places of residence: 1 in Beit Ummar.
9-Thefts from homes: 3 cases involving money and gold frames
10-Confiscation of computers: 2
11-Attack on the funeral: 9 cases
12-Storming fuel stations: 3 cases
13-Storming villages and towns and conservation camps: 965 storming process involving all parts of the province
14-Shooting on citizens: 204 shootings toward people to scare them and stop them from moving
15-Shooting on civilian vehicles: 2
16-Firing tear gas: 202 cases
17-Launching stun grenades: 189 cases
18-Firing tear light: 3 cases
19-Occupation control Homes: 15 cases
20-Detention and arrest citizens: 226 cases
21-Detention of citizens in one room: 6 cases
22-Directed citizens from their homes: 15 cases
23-Operations that harassed citizens: 15 processed
24-Attack on the citizens, who were beaten: 141
25-Stop citizens from coming near the walls: 11 cases
26-Ambushing citizens: 22 cases
27-Chase citizens by the occupation forces: 34 cases
28-Chase workers: 33 cases
29-Fining citizens arbitrarily, demanding that they pay money: 3 cases
30-Using citizens as human shields: 6 cases
31-Checkpoints and barriers to prevent the passage of citizens between the city and villages: 5 cases
32-Assaults on the school and college students: 15 cases
33-Assaults on children: 18 cases
34-Attacks on farmers: 22 cases
35-Attacks on journalists: 15 cases
36-Attacks on foreigners: 10 cases
37-Assaults on the marches: 108 cases
38-Israeli police attack on Palestinian police: 3 cases
39-Arrests: about 1,000 citizens were arrested, including Palestinians and foreigners. Some of them were released hours after arrest. Some of them remained in detention
40-Operations of provocation, incitement: 2 cases
41-Confiscation of spare parts for cars: 2.
42-Military exercises amid residential neighborhoods: 2.
43-Israeli army joining settler patrols and attacking citizens: 11 cases
44-Stopping ambulances and fire brigades: 8 cases
45-Smashing the windows of homes: 2 cases
46-To grab the Schools: Three schools were taken over since the beginning of the intifada in 1978
47-Close ways: 32 cases, and there are still ways closed since the beginning of the intifada in 1978
48-Closing roads and entrances to villages and towns of the province: 12 cases.
49-Closed military zones: 4 cases
50-Barriers: 354 cases, and there are fixed checkpoints since the beginning of the intifada in 1978
51-Detain citizens’ cars: 232 cases
52-The confiscation of cars and other machines: 7 cases
53-Patrols of Israeli soldiers: continuously across the province
54-Aircraft landings: 2
55-Valleys and mountains inspection: 2
56-Occupation the roofs of water reservoirs to control them: Kharsa village tank was occupied 11 times
57-Put concrete blocks in roads to restrict passage: 3 cases
58-Surrounded mosques: 1
59-Prevention of calling for prayer in the Ibrahimi Mosque at night: evening prayer was banned more than 150 times. The pretext is that it interferes with the settlers.
60-Prevention of citizens’ access to the Cave of the Patriarchs: almost constantly
61-Close Ibrahimi Mosque: more than 10 days
62-Confiscation of water systems: 4 cases
63-The establishment of electricity network: 1 for settlers only
64-Distributing leaflets: 1
65-Sweeping away the streets: 2
66-Bulldozing the places where merchants sold vegetables: 4 cases
67-Storming shops and Goods Exchange, destroying their contents: 3 cases, more than one shop in each case
E – Israeli military orders
* The occupation authorities issued 48 military orders; 38 in the heart of the city of Hebron, and the rest in areas Surif and Bani Naim and Jmrorh, including new orders and orders to renew other orders
Settler Attacks
*Report abuse settlement and includes 36 species of attacks:
1-Attacking houses: 190 cases
2-Throwing stones at houses: 130 cases
3-Smashing glass houses: 20 cases
4-Trying to break into homes: 7 cases
5-Attacks on institutions: 1 case
6-Seize homes: 1 house for a citizen of the rugby family near the Cave of the Patriarchs
7-Assault on the shepherds: 6 cases
8-Carouse: 9 cases
9-Provocative acts: 11 cases
10-Settlers’ protest marches: 4 cases
11-Attempt to kidnap citizens: 1 case
12-Battered citizens: 12 cases
13-Attacking citizens and assault: 12 cases
14-Attack on farmers: 30 cases of assault
15-Assault on children: 11 cases
16-Run over citizens: 10 cases, including 8 children
17-Fire on citizens: 3 cases
18-Chase citizens: 12 cases
19-Detained citizens: 53 cases
20-Attack on foreigners: 4 cases
21-Storming towns and villages in the province: 7 cases involving the areas of role – Kharsa – Almagor, and other areas
22-The extension of water networks: 1 in the city of Hebron.
23-Threw stones on citizens’ cars: more than 3 cases
24-Stealing sheep: 2 in the town of Yatta
25-Shocked citizens’ cars: 4 cases
26-Preventing citizens from passing through the streets in the old town: 3 cases
27-Smashed cars: 6 cases
28-Burning cars: 9 cases in Seir role
29-Tilling the land: 70 acres in Yatta
30-To grab the land: 34 acres in Yatta
31-Stealing olives: 3 cases
32-The burning of crops and destruction of agricultural crops: 126 acres
33-Patrol: continuously
34-Settlers goats grazing in Palestinian crops: 2 cases in Yatta
35-Create new outposts: 1 case where the foundation stone was laid for a new outpost near the settlement of Avaegaal, built on Palestinian land in the town of Yatta
36-Continuous expansion of settlements scattered across the province, through the construction of caravans and concrete bases
Settlements that have added caravans
1- Karmi Tsur settlement: 15 Caravans
2-Um Cqahan: 8 Caravans
3-Settlement Antaúal: 15 Caravans
4-Mtsadat Judea: 13 Caravans
5-Asahel settlement: 8 Caravans
6-Nita Marim / Amiriya: 1 Caravan
7-Kharsina: 7 Caravans
8-Givat Habostan West Ifiqiqays: 2 Caravans
B – Settlements which added residential units:
1-Settlement of Adora: 1 house unit
2-Settlement Kharsina: 6 units
3-Ma’on: 7 units
4-Tina settlement: 16 units
5-Settlements Snsana: 5 units
6-Karmi Tsur: 1 unit
7-Susiya settlement: 13 units
8-Yatir House: 3 units
9-Carmiel settlement: 4 units
10-Settlement Ashkluot: 1
The Israeli government announced the construction of 87 housing units in the settlement of Kiryat Arba.
In addition to the crimes listed in this report, the Israeli occupation authorities put the Israeli flag on the Ibrahimi Mosque and, at the request of the settlers, put devices to reduce the voice of prayer in the mosques. Three extremist Jewish women tore the Koran (the Muslim holy book) in the sanctum of the Ibrahimi Mosque, in front of the Israeli military forces.
1. the development of mines in the area on the side in the town of Yatta
2. expansion of the outpost Eshtemoa construction through east
3. give legitimacy to the colony Sensana and other colonies in the West Bank
4. delivered Amagnona military camp to the settlers
5. The Israeli occupation authorities issued a decision to demolish 8 Palestinian villages south of the town of Yatta. The Israeli Supreme Court supported the decision to demolish these villages, and the Knesset adopted a Law to encourage Jewish Israeli settlers to do whatever they in the Palestinian territories, including the writing of racist slogans by terrorist organizations (for instance, “pay the price”).
The fact that the year 2012 was more dangerous than previous years causes us to fear that the year 2013 will be worse than 2012. If these crimes continue at this pace, it is a real disaster for all Palestinian citizens. This Report should alert all in advance. We must move internationally and in international forums to stop these crimes.
Preparation
Expert on Land and Settlement
Abdulhadi Yusuf Hantash
“We now have the right to appeal the ICC, but we are not going to do it now and will not do it except in the case of Israeli aggression,” Abbas told reporters recently, Susie, all these crimes and many thousands of others far worse, it would seem do not amount to the level of aggression required for Abbas to act with regard to the ICC, the question is if Israel has not committed enough war crimes over the past 45 years to initiate action from Abbas now, then he never will take action or take it in time to make a difference, the time to act is now, with the transferring of Israelis into occupied territory in breach of Geneva 49.6 ongoing for the past 45 years, who knows what the outcome would be, but at least if it failed the Palestinians would know that as far as International Law was concerned they cannot avail of it, and that Israel is indeed immune from prosecution, I don’t think that will happen but if it did better to know now so that other options can be tried.