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International solidarity Movement Update

A Palestinian resident in Hebron was today barred from moving into his home in the Tel Rumeida district by Israeli authorities. Issa Amro had signed a rental agreement with the homeowner and Hebron police had been informed about his intention of moving in.

The house behind the Tel Rumeida settlement had been empty for over 2 years after the homeowner had been forced out by settler violence. The house had until recently been used as a military post and in the last few days settlers have been trying to occupy the property.

Despite coordinating in advance with Hebron police, the IDF declared the house a Closed Military Zone and ordered Mr Amro and friends helping him move in to leave the house. The homeowner arrived to confirm Mr Amro's tenancy but the IDF insisted on preventing his legal occupation of the house. Shortly after, the police arrived with a military order declaring the house a Closed Military Zone until 12 noon on Saturday and told Mr Amro he needed to acquire a permit from the DCO (District Coordination Office). To avoid confrontation Mr Amro and his friends left the area.

The Tel Rumeida district of Hebron contains hundreds of empty houses and shops, whose residents have been forced out by settler violence and military orders. Issa aims to reverse this trend: "all these houses in Tel Rumeida are lying empty whilst there is an acute housing shortage in the rest of the city. The Israeli authorities can't continue to deny residents of Hebron their basic right to live in their homes. We will not submit to the ethnic cleansing policies of the Israeli authorities in our city. I will exercise my right to live in a house I have rented in my city."

Three years ago settlers started building a road that would cut through the olive grove where the house is located in order to link the Tel Rumeida settlement at the top of the hill and Shuhada Street in the Old City. A Stop Work Order was issued temporarily halting construction of the road.

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