RAMALLAH, February 3, 2011 (WAFA) - The PLO Department of International Relations said in a report released Thursday that the Israeli army killed 15 Palestinians in January.

Israel also approved construction of 304 housing units in settlements throughout the occupied Palestinian Territory.

The report, entitled People under Occupation, said that during January Israel continued in measures to erase the Palestinian identity of East Jerusalem and impose a Jewish character on it through destroying houses, confiscating land, building tunnels and expulsion of residents.

In addition, the Israeli government approved the disbursement of $3 million to establish a museum of Jewish heritage in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan as part of its effort to impose a Jewish character on the village.

Israel expelled four Palestinians from Silwan due to their resistance of the occupation, said the report.

According to the report, Israel has approved plans to build housing units and tourist areas including nightclubs, restaurants and gambling halls on an area of 455 dunums of land in Lifta, west of Jerusalem, and 180 housing units on an area of 53 dunums in Sur Baher, East Jerusalem.

The report said that scores of settlers attacked a village south of Nablus and uprooted more than 100 olive seedlings, while Israeli bulldozers destroyed five dunums of agricultural land in al-Khader, south of Bethlehem.

The Israeli occupation demolished 22 houses last month and sent notices to demolish 40 more. It also gave notice to demolish homes and facilities of 15 farmers from al-Deyok, in the Jericho area, and four notices to demolish a house and three makeshift rooms in the town of Beit Liqya, Ramallah.

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