Palestine condemns Israel for demolishing mosque
Occupied West Bank (QNN)- Palestine’s acting minister of religious affairs condemned Israel’s demolition of a mosque on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank.
“This is a crime and a blatant attack on Muslims’ feelings,” Hussam Abu al-Rub said in a statement, WAFA reported.
Al-Rub has also called on the Arab and Islamic world to intervene to stop Israeli occupation attacks.
Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday demolished a mosque in the Bedouin community of Azwadeen, east of Yatta city, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
Coordinator of the Protection and Steadfastness Committees, Fuad al-‘Amour, told WAFA that Israeli forces escorted bulldozers into Khirbet Umm Qassa in the Bedouin community of Azwadeen, in what is called the Eastern Slope, where the heavy machineries tore down the mosque, reducing it to rubble.
The demolition was carried out less than two weeks after forces posted demolition notices against the mosque and a local school, which serves 50 students from three marginalized communities, citing unpermitted construction as a pretext.
Israeli forces also bulldozed a livestock structure in Khamis al-Jahalin east of Jerusalem, said an eyewitness. Two other livestock facilities were also demolished in the Bir al-Maskoub community in east Jerusalem.
Palestinians say all of the demolished structures were located in Area C.
Israeli occupation constantly demolishes structures built by Palestinians in Area C, including the Jordan Valley, claiming they were built without a permit, rarely, if ever, issued for Palestinians. It does not allow any development there while using the occupied land for its illegal settlement activity.
Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions — Area A, B and C.
Area C is currently home to 300,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are Bedouins and herding communities who predominantly live in tents, caravans and caves.
