ISRAELI FORCES DEMOLISH 12 TENTS NEAR JERICHO

Jericho, 3 Dhulqo’dah 1436/18 August 2015 (MINA) – Israeli bulldozers on Tuesday demolished 12 tents housing families in the al-Fasayel area near Jericho in the southern Jordan Valley, locals told Ma’an.

The tents belonged to Palestinian families from al-Rashayda and al-Taamra, locals said.

They added that Israeli bulldozers also tore down several structures in al-Maaber near Jericho, Maan News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Earlier this month, Israeli forces demolished 18 homes and agricultural stores belonging to Palestinians in the northern Jordan Valley.

Governor of Tubas Rabeeh al-Khandakji said that the demolitions were carried out without prior warning.

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Under the Oslo Accord, building permits must be approved by the Israeli Civil Administration for construction to take place in Area C.

As a result of rarely-approved permits, however, Palestinian residents are often forced to build structures without permits, which are liable to be torn down later by Israeli forces.

Last year Israel demolished 601 Palestinian-owned structures, displacing 1,215 people.

The UN said it was the highest annual number of people affected by the policy since it began keeping records in 2008. (T/P010/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)