ISRAEL INTENSIFIES ETHNIC CLEANSING THROUGH DEMOLITIONS

On Thursday April 7 Israel's occupation forces made a total of 124 Palestinians homeless by demolishing homes and facilities in Al-Khader, East Jerusalem, Khirbet Tana and Ni'lin. Among the now homeless victims are 60 children.

After April 7th Israel has ethnically cleansed 804 Palestinians in the vast "Area C" fully under Israel's occupation forces control. Israel is attempting to annex it - which would mean Palestinians losing 62 % West Bank, in which 150 000 - 180 000 Palestinians still live after decades of ethnic cleansing.

After four rounds of demolitions this year each building in the villag of Khirbet Tana near Nablus has been destroyed at least once by the Israeli occupation in an effort to force people to live the small village. 13 buildings destroyed now had been donated. Israel has also confiscated tents given to people for emergency housing by foreign donors and NGOs, forcing people to move to live in caves.

Israel has declared Khirbet Tana a "firing zone"; like 18 % of the whole occupied West Bank, officially this is for it to act as a "training area" for its occupation forces; nearly 80 % of these areas have seen no use for military training by the occupation. In 'Area C' Israel's occupation forces' 'training areas' form 30 % of the whole area. The excuse is thin and indefensible cover for ethnic cleansing.

As indefensible is Israel's claim that the buildings and infrastructure build by Palestinians - and also those donated by foreign government and NGOs - which it is destroying are build 'without permit'. In different areas of the occupied territories Israel accepts between 3-5 % of permit applications; to even seek a permit is expensive and long process.

Under international law Israel as an occupier has no right to limit the availability of housing and services to occupied people under its rule, but instead it should itself build and pay them. This it of course it doesn't do, but leaves to the international community, which it otherwise chides even when without the international community having taken over the legal responsibilities of the occupier the occupation would have been very expensive for Israel.

Israel itself only 4,6 % of housing is build for non-Jews who form 23,4 % of the population and over 20 000 homes in Palestine 1948 are marked for destruction by Israel for lacking a building permit; at the same time 'outposts' even Israel's government and judiciary have themselves considered illegal are regularly declared 'legal' years after they have been build without any permits to occupied and stolen Palestinian land.

Beyond housing, Israel's occupation forces also destroyed agricultural and industrial buildings. 'Economic peace' used as a facade to continue the occupation is as hollow as the day it was first championed by such 'Western' politicians as former 'Middle East Quartet' envoy Tony Blair, self-confessed 'friend of Israel'.

Israel's government doesn't want 'economic peace' anymore than its wants any other kind of peace; it wants to ethnically cleanse and annex as large a part of the occupied territories and confine Palestinians to as small area as possible under its continued rule, whether through official occupation or nominal 'independence' in the form of an archipelago of bantustans.

SOURCES:

Area C:

More than 60 % of the occupied West Bank

threatened by Israeli annexation

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/briefing_note/join/2013/491495/EXPO-AFET_SP(2013)491495_EN.pdf

Israel condemned for West Bank demolitions

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/04/08/israeli-west-bank-demolitions-condemned.html

Israeli West Bank demolitions raise alarm

http://www.echo.net.au/2016/04/israeli-west-bank-demolitions-raise-alarm/

Multiple demolitions across Area C in the West Bank; 124 people displaced

http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/multiple_demolitions_across_area_c_in_the_west_bank.pdf

OCHA: Israel dejó sin techo a 124 palestinos en un solo día

http://www.hispantv.com/newsdetail/palestina/231686/israel-demuele-viviendas-palestinas-ocha

OCHA: 124 Palestinians Left Homeless in Less than 24 Hours

cle/ocha-124-palestinians-left-homeless-in-less-than-24-hours/

OCHA: 124 people made homeless by Israel in less than 24 hours

http://english.pnn.ps/2016/04/09/ocha-124-people-made-homeless-by-israel-in-less-than-24-hours/

UN Deplores More Demolitions by Israel in West Bank, Totaling 539

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4771821&Itemid=1

With demolitions, Israel tightens squeeze on West Bank Palestinians

http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3177244-with-demolitions-israel-tightens-squeeze-on-west-bank-palestinians/