Israeli troops escort bulldozers to demolish houses in the West Bank town of al-Dyouk al-Tahta on August 22, 2022.(Photo by Palestinian media)
Ramallah, August 23 (RHC)-- Israel has demolished eight under-construction houses owned by Palestinians in the village of al-Dyouk al-Tahta of the occupied West Bank. The official Wafa news agency reported that the military forces of the regime raided the village on Monday.
Issam Smeirat, a veteran activist against Israeli settlements, said most of the houses were owned by Palestinians from occupied East al-Quds. He said each of the houses was about 130-150 square meters.
Separately, the Supreme Court of Israel gave the army the green light to go ahead with the demolition of some Palestinian structures and residential facilities in Masafer Yatta area, south of al-Khalil, the Palestinian media said. Nedal Younes, the head of the area council, said the court rejected a petition submitted by residents against the imminent demolition of two schools and over 30 residential facilities.
In May, the Israeli military demolished several homes. The move displaced over 1,000 Palestinians living across Masafer Yatta and it was in line with plans to turn the area into a training and firing zone.
Israeli forces have on numerous occasions issued demolition and construction halt notices and flattened Palestinian houses in the area, accusing the owners of lacking building permits. A United Nations study says such permits are “virtually impossible” to obtain.
Critics say the demolitions are political in nature and part of the regime’s policy of dispossession and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Israel occupied the West Bank, including the western part of the holy city of al-Quds, in 1967. It later annexed East al-Quds, which Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
Between 600,000 and 750,000 Israelis occupy over 250 illegal settlements that have been built across the West Bank since the 1967 occupation. The UN Security Council has in several resolutions condemned the Tel Aviv regime’s settlement projects in the occupied Palestinian lands.
