B'Tselem: Israel escalates demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank

More than 700 displaced in six months

Statistical data published by the Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem, confirms that Israel’s forces have intensified the demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank since January 2011, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of Palestinians.
 
According to a report published on Thursday 23rd June, during the last week 33 residential buildings in the Palestinian communities of Fasayel, Alhadedya, Irza in the Jordan valley and Kharba Bir Aleid south of mount Hebron were demolished by the Israeli army.

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The organization said in its report that as a result of these recent demolition operations, 238 people, including 129 minors, were displaced and made homeless.
 
According to B’Tselem, the total residential buildings that were destroyed by the Israeli occupation since the beginning of the year 2011 in the Area C (that are under Israeli civilian and security control according to the Oslo accord) are 103 houses, mostly tents, stalls and houses of tin. These structures housed 706 people, including 341 minors. The report also noted that the figures include buildings used for housing only and do not include other buildings such as sheep pens, warehouses and kilns.
 
The organization noted a rise in the pace of the demolition of houses in Area C; last year (2010) the civil administration destroyed 86 residential buildings in the area, while in 2009 it destroyed 28 houses.
 
The Israeli organization confirmed that the occupation “still controls all aspects of life of Palestinians living in Area C, including the issue of planning and building.”  The report added that “the few structural maps prepared by the civil administration of the Palestinian communities in Area C do not allow any room for new construction or development. As a result, the Palestinians who live in the area do not have any possibility to build their homes legally.”