OCHA: Israeli occupation has demolished 506 buildings since beginning of 2020

The United Nations said that the Israeli occupation authorities have demolished 506 Palestinian buildings in the occupied West Bank, including the city of al-Qud, since the beginning of this year, under the pretext of unauthorized construction.

A report issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that of the 506 buildings, 134 were demolished in al-Quds.

The report pointed out that the occupation authorities demolished 22 buildings owned by Palestinians during the past two weeks, under the pretext of lack of building permits, which led to the displacement of 50 Palestinians and damage to about 200 others.

The report added, “12 demolitions, eight of which were carried out by the owners of the buildings themselves, were recorded in East al-Quds to avoid further fines and fees.”

The report mentioned that the other ten buildings are located in Area C, which amounts to about 60% of the West Bank and is under full Israeli control.

According to the UN report, Israeli settlers uprooted or destroyed about 500 trees owned by Palestinians in three incidents in the West Bank, where the largest of these incidents occurred on lands cultivated by three families from Bidya village in Salfit governorate.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Jimmy McGoldrick, recently warned that illegal demolitions are witnessing a sharp rise during the Corona virus pandemic.

McGoldrick said in a previous statement: “When the Israeli authorities demolish or force homes or buildings that secure the livelihood of their owners, they usually invoke the lack of building permits, which for Palestinians to obtain is impossible due to the restrictive and discriminatory planning system, leaving them behind, without a choice but to build without a permit. ”

McGoldrick added that “the demolition of basic buildings during the Corona pandemic is of particular concern because it increases the complexity of the general situation in the West Bank.”