From the beginning of 2016 to mid-October, Israel has demolished 871 Palestinian structures, according to weekly totals from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), displacing 1351 people. These alarming figures provide further fuel for ICAHD’s campaign to end home demolitions.
Why is this cruel policy of house demolitions allowed to continue? Around 20,000 Palestinians hold demolition orders in their hands and wonder when the bulldozer will arrive to demolish their home. Would you be able to sleep well at night with that prospect, whilst knowing that a record number of demolitions are happening this year? Even EU- funded structures have been demolished: in the first three months of 2016, Israeli forces demolished 120 EU-funded structures in the West Bank, according to OCHA. In a June report, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor estimated that Israeli demolitions and attacks have resulted in the EU wasting 65 million Euros in aid for humanitarian and development projects.
A New briefing from ICAHD UK gives an overview of Israel’s demolition policy.
We also urge you to watch a short video explaining the surge in demolitions.