On the 8th of May 2007, the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality’s bulldozers accompanied by a number of municipality officers and protected by tens of Israeli Occupation forces - (policemen, commandos, and Border Police), demolished two houses in the occupied city of Jerusalem. One of these houses was in Wadi Al-Joz neighborhood. The 270 m2 building was used as a Center for Al-Nujoom Charity Association for Children with Special Needs. The municipality first demolished it in 2005, but it was rebuilt at the end of last year.

The second house was located in Al-Essawiya village. The 2320 m2 building made up two separate apartments each with four bedrooms and their subsidiaries. This house belongs to the resident Daoud Ali Musa Naser who lived there with his wife and eight children.

Some witnesses informed us that the families tried to hold the demolition back but the policemen attacked them using sticks and tear-gas bombs. They also beat up Mr. Naser’s wife who was taken by ambulance to the hospital for medication.

Witnesses reported to the Jerusalem Center for Women Field Researcher that Policemen and Border Guards surrounded the building of Al-Nujoom Association at around 5 o ‘clock in the early morning, destroyed the main entrance gate, attacked and expelled the children and the counselors, then demolished the building claiming that it lacked a building permit.

It is important to mention that the association provides educational and entertainment services for tens of children with special needs, in addition to hosting other children with some counselors as the association is also utilized as a night-shelter.

According to various advocacy material prepared by Jerusalem Center for Women and other Human rights organizations in the oPt, the Israeli Occupation Forces represented by the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem have recently escalated the policy of House Demolitions in occupied Jerusalem. The number of houses demolished have reached up to 50 houses since the beginning of this year ( double the number of houses demolished last year during the same period of time).

The policy of House Demolitions applied by the Israeli Occupation Forces in Jerusalem gravely breeches the charted international standards of human rights, including individuals’ right of adequate housing. Additionally, it contravenes the International Humanitarian Law - IHL regulations, precisely those charted in the 4th Geneva Convention of the year 1949 with regards to the protection of civilians in times of war. Furthermore, it contravenes articles number 32 & 33& 146& 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949; besides falling under the pretext of collective punishments measures that the occupation forces extensively apply against Palestinians.

The Jerusalem Center for women is seriously concerned with the continuous violations of endorsed international conventions and international humanitarian law which Israel is breaching through adopting the policy of house demolitions.

Therefore JCW urges:

• The Israeli Occupation Forces to end the policy of House Demolitions applied against Palestinians as a basic right of adequate living.
• The High Contracting Parties of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, to hold Israel accountable to its commitment as prescribed in the Convention regarding the protection and welfare of civilians in the occupied territories.
• The International Community to practice pressure on the Israeli Occupation Forces and exercise its political and legal will in order to halt illegal Israeli measures that contravene IHL and the international standards of human rights.