Israeli army to demolish clean energy supply serving 390 Palestinians

Dear friends,

On 10 November, we received information from the communications officer of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) informing us that the Israeli authorities have decided to cut off the only source of electricity to Imneizil, a Palestinian village in the South Hebron hills. The village had no access to electricity, water and sewage networks due to military restrictions until a Spanish NGO intervened to install solar panels disregarding the army refusal to provide a building permit. The Israeli authorities now intend to tear down a set of solar panels in the south Hebron hills. 390 residents (forty families), a health clinic, and a school will be affected. Paul Raymond, EAPPI communications officer reports that “the solar plant is the village’s only source of electricity”. For more details also see: www.eappi.org

Despite a legal campaign by Rabbis for Human Rights and 39 appeals, the prospects of saving the solar panels remain grim. Lawyers say that the demolition order violates international law. Israeli organization Rabbis for Human Rights launched a legal campaign against the demolition, arguing that the panels did not require a building permit in the first place, and that electricity is a basic humanitarian need.