953 Palestinian structures demolished or seized by ‘Israel’ in 2022, says EU

Geneva (QNN)- Israeli occupation authorities demolished or seized in 2022 a total of 953 Palestinian structures throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the highest number recorded since 2016, according to a report by the European Union Representative Office for the West Bank and Gaza Strip published on Tuesday.

Of structures demolished, more than 80% (781) were located in Area C. In total, 1,031 individuals have been displaced and 28,446 affected as a result of demolitions. All but 35 of the structures were targeted for lacking building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain in Area C and East Jerusalem

Of the structures targeted in the twelve-month reporting period, 101 structures were funded by the EU or EU Member States (valued at EUR €337,019), representing the third highest financial injury since 2016.

In East Jerusalem, the number of structures being forcibly demolished by their owners at Israeli order has risen significantly, from 34% in 2021 to 51% in 2022.

Area C continued to experience a rise in targeted structures located in Bedouin and Herding communities. Of concern was also the seizure of structures based on Military Order 1797, which provides only a 96-hour notice and very limited grounds for legally challenging a demolition.

A trend observed in Area A and B was the increase in demolitions of structures based on punitive grounds as 11 Palestinian-owned homes and three other structures were demolished by Israeli occupation on punitive grounds in Areas A and B.

Additionally, four artesian water wells were sealed off in Area B, compared to two in the prior four years.

Demolition orders and waves of demolitions in the communities of Masafer Yatta and Al Walajah were of great concern.

From 2016-2020, 2,550 permit requests were filed, but only 24 were accepted, meaning less than one percent of permits were granted over a five-year span. In comparison, plans for 16,098 units were approved in Israeli settlements and permits were issued for at least 2,233 housing units in 2019 and 2020.

The 6-year high demolition number recorded in 2022 was accompanied by a spike in the scale and severity of settler violence; 849 settler incidents recorded in 2022, the highest number since OCHA began recording incidents involving settlers in 2006 and representing a 58% increase compared with 2021 and a 123% increase compared with 2020.

“Demolitions have negatively affected Palestinian communities and have resulted in the continued displacement of Palestinians,” read the report.

“Israel’s settlement policy and actions taken in that context, such as forced transfers, evictions, demolitions and confiscations of homes, are illegal under international humanitarian law.”

“Demolitions in the West Bank have a devastating, long-lasting social and economic effect on Palestinian families and their children, making them further dependent on humanitarian assistance.”

“In particular, the mental wellbeing of children is being impacted. In the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, many children suffer the trauma of watching their homes and schools being destroyed.”