UN report: Palestinians cannot build on 44% of West Bank land

A report issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has claimed that Palestinians in the West Bank are not able to build on almost 44% of the occupied territory. The reason, claims UNOCHA, is that the occupying power, Israel, says these areas are reserved for the Israeli occupation forces and Jewish colonist-settlers.

The report also states: “The restrictions imposed by Israel on the use of the West Bank land, particularly areas classified as “C” (which are under Israeli security and civilian control, according to the Oslo agreement), are among the causes of poor living conditions of many Palestinians, where it is difficult for them to establish basic infrastructure facilities including schools, medical clinics and others.”

Adding that tens of thousands of Palestinians, unable to obtain building permits, start construction work without them, the report’s authors say this puts the new building at risk of demolition by the occupation forces. They note that 180 such buildings belonging to Palestinians have been demolished this year alone.

UNOCHA has called upon the Israeli authorities to stop the demolition of buildings immediately and to meet the Palestinians’ needs in regards to regulating construction, to freeze all settlement activities and to dismantle existing settlements.

Source: Ramallah (Palestine) – Quds Press Service