The Palestinian National Council (PNC) called upon the international community, its institutions and parliamentary unions to confront the crimes of ethnic cleansing carried out against the Palestinian citizens in Wadi Al-Hummus in Sur Baher, in light of the Israeli occupation's insistence on the demolition of 100 apartments.
PNC pointed out in its urgent letters directed by PNC Speaker Mr. Saleem Al-Za’anoun, addressing the various Arab, Islamic, European, Euro-Mediterranean and African Parliamentary Unions the violations of the Israeli occupation of international law, the Hague and Geneva Conventions, the UN resolutions and the peace agreements, targeting the demolition of houses, commercial and industrial firms, with the aim of changing the geographical, demographic and political reality in the Palestinian occupied territories, and separating Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings.

Al-Za’anoun pointed out that these buildings in Wadi Al-Hummus in Sur Baher, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, received their Construction Permits from the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), knowing that the neighborhood falls within the classification of area "A" according to Oslo agreements, while PNA is authorized to issue Construction Permits and manage the area.

He called also the relevant international institutions to immediately intervene to prevent the occupation from completing the demolition of these buildings in Sur Baher and other threatened buildings in more than one place, and to compel Israeli occupation to abide by international law and international conventions.

Al-Za’anoun clarified in his letters that these acts amount to war crimes, which are being documented by several specialized international agencies, and will constitute the facts of the criminal file against the Israeli occupation. The criminal file should be activated and followed up on all levels including the International Criminal Court.

In its letters, PNC refuted the feeble pretexts used by the occupation to demolish these buildings, as they violated the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 9th of July 2004, which demanded that Israel must stop constructing the apartheid wall, including works around Occupied East Jerusalem, dismantle the sections that have been completed, provide compensation to those affected and to restore the status quo.

PNC explained the Israeli occupation policy against Palestinian citizens in relation to building on their land, especially in the city of Jerusalem, while the municipality of the occupation organizes any Palestinian land seized by the Jewish settlers at the municipality expense, smoothly and easily.

PNC confirmed that the demolitions in the occupied city of Jerusalem recorded the largest percentage during the year 2018, which amounted to 45% of the total of these operations, where the Israeli occupation demolished 68 homes and 178 facilities, and the demolitions are concentrated inside the neighborhoods of Jerusalem city, which amounted to 146 houses and facilities, while it reached 100 houses and facilities outside the city of Jerusalem.

PNC reminded the world parliaments and its federations that the threat of demolition of these buildings is linked to the occupation policy since 1967. Since the end of June 2006, approximately 1440 Palestinian homes have been demolished, whereas, more than half of them in the occupied city of Jerusalem. However, since 1987, more than 6,000 houses have been demolished throughout the occupied Palestinian territories.

PNC requested the regional and international parliamentary federations to assume their responsibility for the crime of demolishing Palestinian homes, a crime classified as ethnic cleansing policy, and a grave violation of article 53 of the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949 which prohibits the destruction of property, and Article 23 of the 4th Hague Convention 1907, which prohibits the occupying power from demolishing the homes and property of the citizens of the territories it occupies, as well as it’s a flagrant violation of article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, which states that “No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property”.

Al-Za’anoun added that the destruction of Palestinian homes involves a complex crime that touches the spirit, mind and human dignity and touches the dimensions of human and national existence as a whole, because the people’s homes are the nests of their dreams and the shelter of their pain and joy. The worst is when the father is forced to demolish his home or part of it my himself, otherwise he should cover the demolition costs to the occupying authorities.