Israel detains 15 Palestinians, demolishes 6 structures in West Bank

Israeli Army Forces rounded up 15 Palestinians in overnight raids and demolished several structures in the Occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The detainees were taken into Israeli custody in the cities of Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin and Nablus, the state news agency, Wafa, reported.

In a related development, Israeli Forces demolished six Palestinian structures in the West Bank, according to a local committee.

In a statement, the Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission said two houses were brought down in Jericho and the town of Kafr Al-Dik in Salfit city, while four other structures were razed in Anata town, northeast of Jerusalem.

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Israel widely uses the pretext of lack of construction permits to demolish Palestinian homes, especially in Area C of the Occupied West Bank, which constitutes around 60 per cent of its space.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions – Area A, B and C.

Area C is under Israel’s administrative and security control until a final status agreement is reached with the Palestinians.

Israeli occupation forces look set to increase their policy of bulldozing Palestinian land and property in 2023 – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]