AhlulBayt News Agency - France on Thursday condemned Israel over last week’s demolition of several structures, funded by the French government, in a Palestinian village north of Jerusalem.
“France condemns the Israeli army’s destruction of several structures funded by France in the Palestinian village of West Bank on August 3,” the French government said in a statement.
“This is the third time that buildings funded through French humanitarian aid have been demolished or confiscated by Israeli authorities since the beginning of 2016, and notably follows the dismantling of a school in February.”
Paris also joined the US in denouncing the razing of three European Union-funded shelters in the West Bank on Tuesday, which it said constituted “a violation of international law.
“With several other EU projects destroyed south of Hebron, France expresses its deep concern over the accelerating rate of these demolitions and confiscations of humanitarian structures built for the Palestinian people in Area C,” it said. “We call on the Israeli authorities to end these operations, which are a violation of international law.”
Israeli authorities regularly demolish homes built by Palestinians in Area C, arguing they are built illegally without permits and outside areas zoned for Palestinian building.
Tuesday’s demolitions of the three shelters and two other structures took place in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, a small Bedouin village.
The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem said 27 people lived in the demolished structures, of whom 16 were minors. They all lost their homes in previous demolitions in the same village, its statement said.
In April, six EU-funded modular homes were demolished in Umm al-Khair.
The US State Department on Tuesday said it was “troubled” by Israel’s “provocative” demolitions, saying it “raises serious questions” about the Jewish state’s commitment to peace.
“We remain concerned about the increased demolition of Palestinian structures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which reportedly have left dozens of Palestinians homeless, including children,” said spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau during a press briefing.
“We believe that this is part of an ongoing process of land seizures, settlement expansions, legalization of outposts, denial of Palestinian development,” she said. “We remain troubled that Israel continues this pattern of provocative and counterproductive action, which raises serious questions about Israel’s ultimate commitment to a peaceful negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.”
EU Ambassador to Israeli Lars Faaborg-Andersen said on July 27 that, since 2009, approximately 170 EU-funded structures of a value of €300,000 have been demolished or confiscated and approximately 600 structures, worth over €2.3 million, have been served with demolition, stop-work or eviction orders and are therefore under threat of demolition.
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