Palestinians say not even caves safe from Israeli bulldozers

In mid-2017, Amarneh began building a small house in the village. His neighbor’s house was demolished by the Israeli Civil Administration for not having a building permit. Civil Administration staff had warned him that his house would face the same fate should he complete its construction.

The warning led Amarneh, who holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from An-Najah National University, to explore living in one of the caves around the village in 2018. He enclosed its entrance with stone walls, installed an iron door and two windows and added some simple pieces of furniture. He also set up a portion for his sheep.

“I resorted to the cave as I feared the Israeli authorities would persecute me and take arbitrary and racist measures against me. I wanted stability for my family,” he told Al-Monitor. “I built out the cave as much as possible to make it a suitable place for living. Now, Israel is threatening to demolish everything. I would hear about Israel’s racist behavior, and now I’m witnessing it firsthand.”

He explained, “I was able to extend a pipe from a well to collect water using a manual pump. We get electricity for three hours every night from a generator in the village.”

He added, “I received a military notice with a 96-hour time limit to file an objection. That period has expired, and I expect my cave to be destroyed at any moment now. Life in a cave is scary in itself. But now I fear I will lose the only shelter that houses my family.”

Asked about his options, Amarneh said, “I live in a cave. If I lose it, I will live anywhere. I will erect a tent over the rubble and live in it.”

The 200 residents of Farasin live in a state of fear as the Israeli authorities demolish their homes and tents, pressuring them from their lands to make room for the expansion of the adjacent Halamish settlement.

On March 30, the Palestinian government created a village council to independently manage Farasin’s affairs. It was previously treated as part of the municipality of the neighboring town of Qafin.

The head of the Farasin village council, Mohammed al-Nasr, told Al-Monitor that the village faces constant danger and threats, pointing out that the Israeli Civil Administration stormed the village on July 29 and handed its residents 36 demolition notices for homes, tents and barns. It also banned the residents from using the land for agricultural purposes.

Nasr said the residents submitted 18 objections, showing title deeds and boundary maps. They are now awaiting the Civil Administration’s decisions on their appeals, which also included requests for building permits.

Nasr asserted that the residents will not leave their land under any circumstances. They earn their living from agriculture and raising livestock, and are determined to retain their lands despite the lack of basic services.

Since the notices arrived on July 29, Israeli military bulldozers demolished a stone and tin house and a 250-cubic-meter water tank, citing unlicensed construction. The owner, who had been served with a military notice, ended up erecting a tent over the rubble.

Nasr said that the administration has not given a date for responding to the residents’ appeals. “The residents fear Israel will carry out large-scale demolitions that would affect the entire village,” he said, adding, “Israel had denied construction licenses for dozens of residential communities. Yet the residents remained in their village. They still refuse to leave. They will set up tents over the rubble and continue living in them should Israel demolish their houses. The lands registered in the name of residents amount to 6,000 dunams.”