Israeli army razes 3 Palestinian houses as escalation continues to spike in occupied West Bank
Israel widely uses pretext of lack of construction permits to demolish Palestinian homes in West Bank
RAMALLAH, Palestine
The Israeli army demolished three more Palestinian houses and two mobile homes on Tuesday in the northern West Bank and East Jerusalem amid military escalation in the occupied territory, according to witnesses.
Witnesses said a house was bulldozed in the village of Kafr al-Dik, west of Salfit city, for the alleged lack of a building permit.
The Israeli army has demolished four buildings in the same village since the start of this year.
Israeli forces also demolished two houses in the Jabal al-Mukaber area and Al-Issawiya town in East Jerusalem, according to residents.
In the Silwan town in the same city, Israeli forces razed two mobile homes for Palestinians whose houses were demolished by Israel a few months ago.
According to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups, the Israeli authorities intentionally demolish and restrict construction permits to Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.
Tuesday’s demolitions came as the army continued deadly raids in the northern West Bank, where over 60 people have been killed and thousands displaced since last month.
According to Palestinian figures, the Israeli army demolished 126 Palestinian structures in January, including 74 inhabited homes and 29 agricultural facilities in the West Bank.
Israel widely uses the pretext of a lack of construction permits to demolish Palestinian homes, especially in Area C in the occupied West Bank, which constitutes around 60% of its space.
Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions – Area A, B, and C.
Area C is under Israel’s administrative and security control until a final status agreement is reached with the Palestinians.
Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank, where at least 923 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 others injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the start of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Health Ministry.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar
