UN: Israel Demolished 31 Palestinian Structures in Past Two Weeks

Ramallah, MINA – During the past two weeks, Israeli occupation authorities have demolished or seized 31 Palestinian-owned structures for the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, displacing 13 people and affecting the livelihoods of more than 100 others, today said the UN-OCHA in its biweekly Protection of Civilians Report.

According to WAFA, in the Palestinian Bedouin community of Fasayil, in the Jordan Valley, the Israeli authorities demolished 12 homes and livelihood structures used on a seasonal basis. Another four targeted structures were located in four Bedouin communities in an area allocated for the expansion of the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.

The UN organization said two structures were also demolished in the At-Taybeh community, near Hebron, on the basis of Israeli Military Order 1797, in addition to nine other structures in occupied East Jerusalem, including two in al-Isawiya neighborhood, where on 19 February 2020, the Jerusalem municipality announced a six-month freeze in demolitions.

During the same period, Israeli occupation forces bulldozed agricultural land in two locations in Area C of the Hebron governorate, claiming the area was designated as “state land”. In Al Baq’a, near Hebron city, four dunums of seasonal crops and a retaining wall were bulldozed and destroyed, while next to Sa’ir town, 70 olive trees were uprooted, UN-OCHA added.

Meanwhile, UN-OCHA said five Palestinians were injured, and dozens of trees and vehicles were vandalized by Israeli settlers during the past two weeks. All the injuries occurred in two incidents in Biddya village, near Salfit, when settlers attacked farmers working their land: three were shot with live ammunition, one was physically assaulted, and another bitten by a dog unleashed by settlers.

Dozens of olive trees were also set on fire by illegal settlers in Burin village, near Nablus, and a few others were uprooted in the As-Seefer community in Hebron, located in the closed area behind the Israeli Segregation Barrier.

Israeli settlers also raided Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus, where they vandalized 12 vehicles, the UN group said.

In the Gaza Strip, the UN-OCHA said on at least 18 occasions, Israeli forces opened warning fire near Israel’s perimeter fence around Gaza, and off its coast, presumably to enforce access restrictions.

While no casualties were reported, in one incident, Israeli naval forces arrested four fishermen and confiscated two boats; the fishermen were later released. Also, in two incidents, Israeli forces arrested two Palestinians while they were attempting to enter Israel, one through the fence and, the other, from the sea.

On three occasions, Israeli forces entered Gaza and carried out land-levelling and excavation operations near the fence.(T/R3/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)