UN figures released Thursday revealed a four-fold increase from last year in the rate of Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures, that have left a record-high 808 Palestinians displaced since the start of 2016.
According to UN documentation, the Israeli authorities have destroyed some 588 Palestinian structures across the occupied Palestinian territory since January.
The over 800 Palestinians to be displaced this year far surpasses the number displaced during the entirety of 2015, while well over 1,000 Palestinians were also affected after losing structures related to their source of income.
Khirbet Tana, East of Nablus. The baby is not getting some sun. He and his family have been… https://t.co/MMWRGt9xe4 pic.twitter.com/eZR7fJYJsL
— martin carroll (@JamesNastics) April 20, 2016
The policy has been widely condemned by the international community as collective punishment, executed in direct violation of international law on family members who have not carried out crimes.
In the first week of April, 124 Palestinians were displaced in a single day from nine different communities, including the village of Khirbet Tana which has been destroyed four times over since the start of the year alone.
The UN’s Robert Piper following the Khirbet Tana demolitions warned that the Jordan Valley village faced imminent risk of displacement as a direct result of Israel’s efforts to push Palestinians out of the occupied area.
(MAAN)
