Israeli troops demolish a Palestinian house in a village south of Yatta, the West Bank . (Photo: AFP)

Ramallah, February 21 (RHC)-- The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says Israeli forces have either demolished or confiscated nearly 90 Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds, displacing about 150 Palestinians in two weeks.

In its recent bi-weekly report, the UN office said the demolitions occurred in February and displaced 146 Palestinian citizens, including 83 children, while affecting at least 330 others.

On February 3rd and 8th, the Israeli forces tore down 37 structures in Humsa al-Buqaia hamlet in the northern Jordan Valley, displacing 60 citizens, including 35 children, the report added.   In southern Hebron (al-Khalil), the Israeli military expropriated seven structures in the communities of Al-Rakeez, Umm al-Kheir and Khirbet at-Tawamin, affecting the living conditions and means of livelihood of 80 people.

The Israeli army, in addition, demolished 13 street stalls for selling drinks in Jenin, impacting the livelihoods of nearly 70 people.  In the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds, the Israeli authorities knocked down seven structures, four of which were razed by their owners who were forced to do so to avoid Israeli-imposed demolition costs.

Dozens of structures were also demolished in the Area C, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the occupied West Bank, and forms a significant part of a future Palestine state under the so-called two-state solution.

Palestinian Agricultural Ministry sources was cited by the report as saying that Israeli  forces chopped down 1,000 saplings near Tubas, which were planted after the Israeli army cut down thousands of trees in the same area. 

Israeli authorities usually demolish Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, claiming that the structures have been built without permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain. They also sometimes order Palestinian owners to demolish their own homes or pay the demolition costs to the municipality if they do not.

The latest demolition has drawn widespread condemnation against the Israeli regime for exploiting the coronavirus crisis to press ahead with its campaign of razing Palestinian homes.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

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.