Israel Demolishes Palestinian Structures in West Bank

Palestinian residential structures were demolished by Israel-UNRWA photo.

Jerusalem, 05 Rabiul Akhir 1438/04 January 2016 (MINA) – Israeli forces destroyed 13 structures — including a school — in a village in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to Palestine’s official WAFA news agency.

The structures in the Bedouin village of Khirbet Tana east of the city Nablus were deemed illegal by the Israeli authorities since they are located in “Area C” of the West Bank — the 60 percent of the territory that remains under full Israeli control.

“Sad start to 2017,” UN Assistant Secretary-General Robert Piper tweeted.

“The village of Khirbet Tana already had 4 rounds of demolitions by Israeli security forces in 2016.”

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According to WAFA, 250 Palestinians live in the village, where 150 structures were destroyed last year by the Israeli authorities.

Furthermore, Israel rarely grants Palestinians permits to build in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, although the estimated 550,000 Jewish Israeli settlers are more easily given building permits and allowed to expand their homes and properties.

Nearly all Palestinian applications for building permits in Area C — the 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli military control — are denied by the Israeli authorities, forcing communities to build illegally. (T/RS05/RS01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)