Israel demolishes EU-funded Palestinian homes in Hebron

Israeli occupation forces yesterday demolished three Palestinian homes and facilities funded by the European Union (EU) in the Khashm Al-Darj village located in Hebron’s southern city of Yatta.

The coordinator at the Palestinian popular committee against the wall and settlements in Yatta, Rateb Al-Jabour, told Quds Press that the houses’ demolition, which left three families homeless, was carried out by the occupation bulldozers.

Al-Jabour added that Israeli forces have also handed other demolition orders to a number of the city’s Palestinian residents under the pretext of “construction without permit”, although those buildings were funded by the EU.

On his part, the Communication and Information Officer at the European Commission, Shadi Othman, strongly condemned the demolition of the Palestinian structures in Area C, which the EU considers part of a future Palestinian state.

Othman said the EU has repeatedly raised the issue of the Israeli offensives on the buildings which it funds. He called on Israel to stop its violations against Palestinians, stressing that the continuous demolition activities are “unacceptable”.

Read: Israel to demolish 42 Palestinian homes in Hebron

The EU official pointed out that in 2016 the occupation forces demolished €500 million worth of EU-funded projects and facilities in Area C.

According to the 1995 Oslo II Accord, which was signed between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Israel, the West Bank is divided into three areas: Area A which represents 18 per cent of the West Bank and is fully controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA); Area B, which represents to 21 per cent of the West Bank, is under the PA’s civilian control and Israeli security control; Area C, which represents 61 per cent of the West Bank, and lies under the full control of the Israeli government.