Israel using simulations to train soldiers to face Palestinian protesters

Israeli forces are using simulated demolitions to train on how to deal with clashes which erupt as a result of their violent actions, video footage aired by Israel’s Channel 2 shows.

According to Channel 2, Israeli forces have been conducting training sessions for the last week in order to prepare “to face Palestinian protesters while demolishing houses in Palestinian villages”.

The drills were conducted in fake towns that embodied Palestinian villages, where Israeli soldiers were training on how to face protesters, raid homes and conduct demolitions.

There has been a spike in the number of Palestinian homes demolished by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem with 1,093 structures taken down in 2016, displacing 1,601 Palestinians, according to the UN.

Since the start of 2017, Israeli forces have already demolished 168 Palestinian structures in the occupied territory, displacing at least 276 Palestinians, according to UN documentation.