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Israeli Army Demolishes Homes and Damages a Kindergarten in Deheisheh Refugee Camp, Palestine

December 1, 2004—New York. On Tuesday, November 30, the Israeli military demolished the homes of two Palestinian families living in Deheisheh Refugee Camp. The demolished apartments were located in a building shared by the kindergarten of MADRE's partner organization, the Ibdaa Cultural Center. The entire building was rendered structurally unsound by the explosions; Ibdaa's kindergarten was badly damaged.

The Hamash family homes were destroyed as retribution for violence allegedly committed by Mahmud and Mahammad Hamash, who are in Israeli custody. Yet, neither the Hamash children, who have now been made refugees for the second time, nor the Ibdaa kindergarteners are responsible for these alleged crimes. Indeed, international law defines house demolition as a form of collective punishment and a war crime, stating that "No protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed" (Article 33, Fourth Geneva Convention).

Ibdaa co-founder Ziad Abbas witnessed the demolition. He said, "At a quarter to four this morning at least 12 Israeli army jeeps invaded Deheisheh Camp and surrounded the Hamash families' two flats, in the same building as Ibdaa�s kindergarten. The army ordered the families outside into the damp and cold early morning air. They were given 30 minutes to remove their life's meager possessions. After the explosions, children's books and paintings from the Ibdaa kindergarten mixed with the rubble in the streets."

MADRE, an international women's human rights organization, forcefully condemns the illegal, immoral practices of Israel's occupation. Every day, Deheisheh's youngest children face a combined assault of Israeli army violence and grinding poverty. They have been shelled and shot at, their houses invaded by soldiers in the middle of the night. Their most basic rights to food, clean water and health care have been violated by soldiers enforcing closures and curfews. Yet, until today, the children of Deheisheh had a sanctuary at the Ibdaa kindergarten. Inside its bright walls, they played and sang, learned and laughed. Ibdaa's commitment to safeguarding the childhood of Deheisheh's youngest generation is not shaken by the brutality of Israel's occupation policies. MADRE rededicates itself to working with Ibdaa to strengthen its programs for Deheisheh's children and families.

We urge you to write to the Israeli authorities listed below to register your opposition to the demolition carried out in Deheisheh.

Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon
Office of the Prime Minister
3 Kaplan Str., P.O. Box 187
Jerusalem, 91919 Israel
Fax: 972-2-670-5475
e-mail: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il

Minister of Defense, Shaul Mofaz
37 Kaplan St.
Hakirya
Tel-Aviv 61909
Tel: 972-3-5692010
Fax: 972-3-6916940
Website: http://www.mod.gov.il
e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il
pniot@mod.gov.il

Minister of Justice, Yosef Lapid
29 Salah al-Din Str.
Jerusalem, 91010, Israel
Fax: 972-2-628-8618
e-mail: sar@justice.gov.il

Ministry of the Interior, Avraham Poraz
2 Kaplan St.
P.O.B. 6158
Kiryat Ben-Gurion
Jerusalem 91061
Tel: 972-2-6701411
Fax: 972-2-5666376
e-mail: sar@mops.gov.il



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