OCHA: ‘Israel’ demolished or confiscated 42 Palestinian-owned structures in two weeks

Occupied Palestine (QNN)- In two weeks only, Israeli occupation demolished, confiscated, or forced people to demolish 42 Palestinian-owned structures in eastern part of occupied Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territory said.

In its biweekly “Protection of Civilians Report” covering the period (2-15 May 2023), OCHA confirmed that Israeli occupation demolished, confiscated, or forced people to demolish 42 structures in East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank, including 17 homes, citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain.

Nine of the structures were provided by donors as humanitarian assistance, including a school in southern Bethlehem. On 7 May, Israeli forces demolished the EU-funded Palestinian school serving at least 40 pupils from Jubbet Adh Dhib (Bethlehem) citing the lack of an Israeli-issued building permit and structural safety concerns.

Fifty-seven schools across the West Bank are at risk of demolition. In a separate incident, on 10 May, the Israeli civil administration along with Israeli forces dismantled and confiscated two tents that were used as temporary classrooms for the pupils of the school of Jubbet adh Dhib. The tents were provided as humanitarian assistance in response to the demolition on 7 May. School equipment, including chairs and desks, were confiscated by Israeli forces.

As a result of the demolitions, 50 Palestinians, including 23 children, were displaced, and the livelihoods of more than 600 others were affected.

More than half of the affected structures (26) were in Area C, including the donor funded school. The remaining 16 structures were demolished in East Jerusalem, including two residential structures demolished in the Wadi Qaddum area of Silwan, resulting in the displacement of seven households comprising 39 people including 22 children.

Another seven structures were destroyed by their owners to avoid the payment of fines to the Israeli occupation authorities. Additionally (not counted above), in Area A of the West Bank, Israeli forces destroyed one residential structure and caused damage to three others during an Israeli force’s operation carried out in the Old City of Nablus.

Since the beginning of 2023, ten homes and one agricultural-related structure have been demolished on punitive grounds, compared with 14 structures in all of 2022 and three in 2021. Punitive demolitions are a form of collective punishment and as such are illegal under international law as they target the families of a perpetrator, or alleged perpetrator.