NEGOTIATIONS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT

20 July 2004

The Israeli Army today demolished 3 Palestinian homes, 26 Palestinian shops and an olive oil factory in the Occupied West Bank town of Barta (located in the northwest West Bank) in order to continue construction of its wall.  The demolitions come after the International Court of Justice’s July 9^th ruling that Israel must immediately cease construction of the wall. 

The Israeli Army demolished the homes and businesses without prior notice to Palestinian home and shop owners.  According to witnesses, at approximately 6 a.m., an estimated 300 Israeli soldiers using at least 35 jeeps and 4 bulldozers raided the town to carry out the demolitions.  The Army fired tear gas, rubber-coated metal bullets and live ammunition at Palestinian demonstrators, injuring 8 Palestinian civilians.  Two Palestinian civilians remain in critical condition.

 Although Israel claims that it is re-routing the wall to its 1967 pre-occupation border (the Green Line), this planned rerouting of the wall (like the original route) remains entirely within Occupied Palestinian Territory.  By rerouting the wall, Israel will trap Palestinian residents of Barta in a 10 kilometer ghetto, with approximately 60% of the town’s farm land (located in the south and north of the town) situated beyond the wall.  (See accompanying map at http://www.nadplo.org/images/maps/pdf/barta.pdf)

 An additional 22 Palestinian shops are slated for demolition.  The Israeli Army has not indicated when it will carry out these demolition orders.

 For additional information, please see the attached report of the Palestinian Monitoring Group.

 Contacts:

Diana Buttu, Legal Advisor to the PLO:  +972-59-559-734

Michael Tarazi, Legal Advisor to the PLO:  +1-202-390-6418

 Diana Buttu

Legal Advisor

Negotiations Affairs Department

Palestine Liberation Organization

Cell:  +972-67-559-734

Cell:  +972-59-559-734

www.nad-plo.org

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