Following the events on the October 7, 2023, and  consequent impact on all aspects of Palestinian life, JLAC (The Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights) submitted a legal memorandum to the Civil Administration in addressing the various complications to its protection efforts. The memorandum addressed recent “stop work and demolition orders” in area “C”, the issuance of decisions in cases still under follow-up (though the Civil Administration had been nearly inoperable and difficult to access due to heightened movement restrictions), and failure to give consideration to the situation in the West Bank. 

The memorandum was submitted by ـJLAC on December 5, 2023, as to formally request the  cessation of the issuance of demolition orders. In addition, JLAC emphasized that responses or decisions should not be issued by the inspection committees or the Higher Planning Council until the situation deescalates, or at least that  time extensions (within longer deadlines of not less than 90 days) be provided as to allow for appropriate legal mechanisms to function.  Moreover,   JLAC requested that the granting of new deadlines (after initial deadlines have expired)  be considered on account of the heightened situation.

On December 17, 2023, JLAC received a response from the Civil Administration stating that governmental offices, only in Beit El, have started to operate two days a week (Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00-12:00), and that prior appointments through the “Coordinator / Al-Munasiq” application are required. The response explained that the said operational hours have been in place since December 5, 2023 for demolition related cases, with land-related cases beginning to be handled after December 17, 2023. Legal follow-up can also to be carried out via email, including sending all applications and relevant ownership documents electronically, without the need to specify additional details.

JLAC considers this new regulation as means of exploiting the current political and security situation across the occupied territory as means of carrying out more demolitions and accelerating civil administration procedures therein.  In so doing,  Palestinians’ already limited access to due process, in attempting to legally protect  their homes and private property from demolition and confiscation, is even further restricted.

See attached Civil Administration Response in Hebrew.