Israeli forces demolish 6 Palestinian homes built without permits which they do not give to Palestinians

Israeli forces on Wednesday demolished six structures in Khirbet Umm al-Kheir south of the West Bank city of Hebron leaving 35 Palestinians homeless including 12 children, UN reported. Salem (5) was among those who became homeless.

Umm al-Kheir resident Bilal al-Hathalin told Ma'an that bulldozers entered the village under heavy military protection and demolished six homes made of tin.

“This is the eighth time the occupation demolished homes in Umm al-Kheir,” local Suleiman al-Hathalin said, referring to the demolitions as “ethnic cleansing.”

“Thirty-five people have become homeless, while settlers of the illegal Karmel settlement are living a luxurious life only a few steps away from my home,” Suleiman said, adding that Israeli forces had demolished his home in effort to displace him.

“I had already become a refugee when I was displaced from my land in Arad [in 1948] and the occupation is now trying to displace me again,” Suleiman continued. “We will never leave,” he added.

"Demolitions like these occur on the grounds that the structures lack Israeli-issued building permits, but these are almost impossible to obtain," notes also the UN.

Izraelská skupina Peace Now, která sleduje vývoj osad, zjistila, že od roku 2000 do září 2007 bylo Palestincům v okupační oblasti C Západního břehu, nad kterou mají Izraelci plnou vojenskou i civilní kontrolu, odmítnuto 94% žádostí o stavební povolení. Izraelci Palestincům vydali pouze 91 povolení, zatímco v nelegálních židovských osadách bylo postaveno 18 472 bytových jednotek. V důsledku demolic pak bylo zbořeno 1 663 palestinských domů.