Israeli army demolishes 3 Palestinian homes in West Bank

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army on Monday demolished three Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, a local Palestinian official said.

One of the two homes demolished in the village of Furush Beit Dajan in the Jordan Valley area was under construction, Azem Haj Muhammad, head of the village’s council, told Anadolu.

He said the homes in Area C were demolished on the pretext of not having building permits from the Israeli authorities.

Witnesses also told Anadolu that another home was demolished for the same reason in the village of Al-Jiftlik near Furush Beit Dajan.

The Israeli authorities prohibit construction or land reclamation in Area C, without permits, which are almost impossible to obtain, according to Palestinians and international human rights reports.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three areas A, B, and C.

While Area A represents 18% of the West Bank and is controlled by the Palestinian Authority in terms of security and administration, Area B represents 21% of the territory and is subject to Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control.

Area C, which represents 61% of the West Bank, is under Israel’s civil and security control.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat