Israel issues demolition orders to 8 Palestinian families

Coordinator of the National and Popular Committee in southern Hebron (Al-Khalil), Rateb Al-Jbour, said that Israeli forces barged their way into the village and handed six villagers demolition orders for their property.

Among the properties slated for demolition are three houses, including a two-story house, an agricultural room and a shed besides four wells.

The troops also delivered demolition orders against five Palestinian houses, including some built using brick and tin sheets, to the east of Yatta city, which will displace three families consisting of 40 members.

Al-Jbour noted that Israel demolishes Palestinian houses and structures almost on a daily basis as a means to achieve "demographic control" of the occupied territories, a practice described by Palestinians and human rights activists as a form of ethnic cleansing.

Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Al-Quds, during the 1967 Six Day War. It justifies the demolition of Palestinian homes by saying that they lack building permits, despite the fact that Israel very rarely issues such permits to Palestinians.

The Zionist state, meanwhile, approves the construction of thousands of residential units within illegal settlements built on occupied Palestinian land.

Israel's widely practiced policy of home demolitions targeting entire families are acts of illegal collective punishment and come in direct violation of International Human Rights Law.