The Israeli regime tore down as many as 50 Palestinian-owned structures across the occupied West Bank in a matter of just two weeks, displacing 55 people, the UN said.
The structures were located in East al-Quds and Area C of the West Bank, said a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Saturday.
The displaced people included 28 children, noted the report that covered the period running from August 2 to 15, adding that the destructions affected the livelihood of almost 220 Palestinians.
Flattening the buildings, the Israeli regime cited the owners’ lack of Tel Aviv-issued building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain.
According to the OCHA, 12 of the demolished structures were donor-funded humanitarian assistance projects. Eight of the structures were located in East al-Quds, which Palestinians want as the capital of their future state. Three of these buildings were razed down by their owners so they can avoid being forced by Tel Aviv to pay for the destruction of their own property.
As many as 42 of the buildings were located in Area C that accounts for more than 60 percent of the occupied West Bank.
The report noted that since the beginning of 2022, 10 Palestinian homes have been demolished on punitive grounds, compared with three in all of 2021 and six in 2020. Punitive demolitions are a form of collective punishment and as such are illegal under international law as they target the families of perpetrators or alleged perpetrators, said OCHA.
The Israeli regime occupied the West Bank, including East al-Quds, in a Western-backed war in 1967. Ever since, it has been dotting the territory with hundreds of illegal settlements that house thousands of settlers.
All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.