ISRAEL TO DEMOLISH MOSQUE IN WEST BANK

Ramallah, 24 Muharram 1435/28 November 2013 (MINA) – The Israeli Civil Administration on Tuesday handed a notification to Palestinian residents near the West Bank city of Nablus warning that a mosque to be demolished.

They argued that since it was build without the needed building permits.

Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian Authority official monitoring settler activity in the northern West Bank, said that the Civil Administration arrived at the Al-Taweel area to the south of Nablus and handed them the warrant against Al-Taweel mosque.

The Civil Administration, a military department responsible for coordinating civil issues between Israeli government and the Palestinians. Daghlas said that the decision states that the mosque was constructed in Area C without the needed license from Israeli authorities.

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According to the Oslo Agreement, Area A is under Palestinian administrative and security control, Area B under Palestinian administrative control but under Israeli security one, the Area C is under full Israeli control.

The official added that the Israeli authorities “demolish the mosques that the Jewish settlers do not torch.” He was referring to the arson attacks that settlers carry against mosques in Palestinian territories.

He added that the demolition of the mosque aims at “confiscating more lands for the benefit of Jewish settlements in the area and displacing the Palestinian people.” He called on the Palestinian Authority and international community to pressure Israel to cancel the notifications. Mahmoud al-Habbash, the Palestinian Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs, harshly slammed the Israeli move.

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Al-Habbash said that the Israeli decision “is a clear proof the Israeli right-wing government headed by Binyamin Netanyahu doesn’t want any peace or any negotiations at all.” Al-Habbash said that the Israeli government “is trying to undermine any possibility to maintain calm in the area.” “The Palestinian leadership is completely convinced that the Israeli acts aim at torpedoing the peace talks since the move will lead to uncontrolled confrontations on ground,” Al-Habbash said. (T/P08/P04)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)