Israeli forces targeted 81 facilities owned by Palestinians, whether through demolition, confiscation, evictions, or notifications in October.

The most prominent violations focused on demolition operations that affected 36 establishments, where 2 of them were self-demolition in which the owners were forced to demolish their facilities themselves, under threat of fines, according to a monthly report issued on Wednesday by Human Rights and Democracy Media Center SHAMS.

The report highlighted that the Israeli forces confiscated 2 establishments and seized them, and notified 43 establishments to be demolished, confiscated, or evacuated. Most of these facilities are educational, commercial, agricultural, recreational, and medical.

Jerusalem was the highest in terms of targeting with 18 facilities, followed by Bethlehem with 11 establishments, and then Hebron with 10 facilities.

"Since these operations that target Palestinian establishments are not taking place in an isolated area from the population, the number of people affected by them during October reached 110 people, including children and women, whose suffering is greater in these cases," the report underscored.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities use different pretexts in an attempt to legalize the crime. The number of facilities that were demolished, confiscated, evacuated, or notified under the pretext of building without a permit in Areas C reached 78 establishments out of 81. Two establishments were confiscated under the pretext of its proximity to the Apartheid Wall and another one as collective punishment, in violation of international law against families for their members' national resistance.

"Self-demolition is a type of complex and centralized oppression. Palestinian citizens, the vast majority of whom are Jerusalemites, are forced to self-demolish their houses and facilities, under threat of imposing heavy fines in case they did not do so," the report stated.

 

Source : Safa