Israel orders halt on construction of houses, park in Bethlehem
Bethlehem – Israeli occupation forces on Monday ordered a halt on the construction of some 13 houses and a park in Nahalin town, located to the west of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Head of Nahalin Council Hani Fannoun told official WAFA News Agency that an Israeli military force and staff of the so-called Israeli Civil Administration raided the town, and handed notices to eight Palestinian villagers, ordering them to halt the construction of their houses, at least three of which are inhabited, purportedly for being built without licenses.
The soldiers also ordered a stop on the construction of a public park and retaining walls in the same town.
Israel, the occupying power, demolishes Palestinians’ houses and structures almost on a daily basis as a means to achieve demographic control of the occupied territories.
Israel denies planning permits for Palestinians to build on their own land or to extend existing houses to accommodate natural growth, particularly in Jerusalem and Area C, which constitutes 60 percent of the occupied West Bank and falls under full Israeli military rule, forcing residents to build without obtaining rarely-granted permits to provide shelters for their families.
