Since Friday, November 7, our valiant IDF forces have been occupying the Malul neighborhood, on the southwestern edge of Ya'bad in the northern West Bank. They broke into six homes and expelled the 11 families who live in them, and who since then have been wandering between the homes of relatives and friends.
The soldiers established their headquarters in one of the houses and in a glass-and-aluminum workshop located on the ground floor. The workshop is a source of livelihood for six families, and its six workers have been forcibly idled, said its owner, 63-year-old Ali Kilani. Most of the schools in Ya'bad have been closed, and the children have switched to online learning.
After Kilani contacted the Israeli Civil Administration, he was permitted to enter his home, take a few belongings, and tend to the poultry the family raises: 45 chickens, seven turkeys and ornamental birds. He first entered his home four days after the takeover. The second time, this past Friday, he found the carcasses of the poultry. Some ornamental birds had apparently flown off because their cages were left open. There are also beehives in the large area surrounding the house, which help support the family's livelihood. Kilani fears that without tending to the hives, the bees will not return.
Inside the house he found a mess and saw many soldiers spread out on mattresses. Accompanied by soldiers, he entered the workshop and saw that tools and raw materials had disappeared. He also noticed civilian clothing strewn about and plastic handcuffs scattered around. This is a military practice increasingly reported: as in Tulkarm, in the refugee camps of Nablus, and in Ya'bad itself – the army seizes a house and turns it into an interrogation center. Some people are detained. According to official Palestinian sources, since the takeover one resident of Ya'bad has been arrested – on November 20. It is not known whether he was interrogated in this house.
In short, a non-event from our Israeli perspective, another day in the West Bank: the expulsion of dozens of people from their homes, the loss of livelihoods, disruption of studies, disappearance of belongings and damage to property.
The IDF Spokesperson answered the question regarding the purpose of the takeover: "On November 7, suspects from the village of Ya'bad blocked a road used by civilians (i.e., Israelis – A.H) in the region with stones and tires, thereby endangering the lives of residents. It was then decided to place a permanent military presence in the village in order to prevent terrorism in the area. After examining possible alternatives, a seizure order for the house was signed by the authorized commander on November 9. The order was published as required, and was later extended after it was determined that there was still a need for continued military presence in the village."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit did not answer the question of who the authorized level is and whether this was done with the approval of the Military Advocate General.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit was also asked, "Do you think this is the right kind of education for 19- and 20-year-old soldiers – that whenever their commander wishes, they will expel people from their homes and use their homes, their property, their electricity and their water?" To this question, we received no answer. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit only concluded its response with the odd statement that "as of this date, no objections to the order have been submitted." As though if there is no objection, people agree to being uprooted from their home and having it turned into a military base. That was last Friday. As of late this week, the house was still occupied.
This is what routine collective revenge looks like by an army preparing for eternal rule over a population it considers superfluous. This is the army that, since the Oslo Accords established the Palestinian Authority, has seen itself as exempt from all its obligations under international law toward the occupied population.