Heavy rains cause partial collapse of Israel’s separation wall in occupied West Bank

By Qais Abu Samra and Betul Yilmaz

RAMALLAH, Palestine / ISTANBUL (AA) – Heavy rains caused a partial collapse of a separation wall built by Israel in the southern West Bank on Tuesday, witnesses said.

The wall partially collapsed due to the rains that caused flash floods south of Hebron, they told Anadolu.

A video clip showed a complete destruction of a section of the concrete wall.

Tel Aviv began the construction of the separation wall in 2002 to separate the occupied West Bank from Israel. In 2004, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion condemning it and deeming it illegal.

Landslides caused by the rains also disrupted traffic on main roads west of Ramallah in the central West Bank.

An Anadolu correspondent reported that several vehicles were damaged in the floods, though no injuries were reported.

The area “witnessed large amounts of rainfall within a few hours across wide regions,” Qussai Halaika, a Palestinian meteorologist, said in a statement.

He added that western parts of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron also saw significant rainfall, while amounts tapered off further east.

The Palestinian territories have experienced unstable weather conditions accompanied by heavy rains and strong winds, amid warnings of flash floods in low-lying areas and the risk of further road collapses.