HEBRON, July 2, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli army forces on Thursday razed a Palestinian-owned four-dunum area near Hebron, as well as notified to demolish a house and a water well near the town of Yatta, south of Hebron, according to local sources.

A farmer residing east of Hebron told WAFA that an Israeli army force and staff from the so-called Israeli Civil Administration broke into the area and razed the land of Mohammad Mustafa Jaber, a local villager. The land is close to bypass road 60.

Meanwhile, army forces broke into the villages of Dirat and Umm Sharara, just east of the town of Yatta, and notified a local resident about their intent to demolish his house along with a water well, which he owns in the area.

Issuance of construction permits for Palestinians living in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli jurisdiction, is strictly limited, forcing Palestinians residing in such areas to embark on construction without obtaining a permit.

According to statistics obtained by the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions (ICAHD), Israel has demolished more than 48,000 Palestinian-owned houses since 1976, either for allegedly administrative purposes or during military action.

In 2014 alone, the ICAHD observed the demolition of 399 houses for ‘administrative’ reasons, whereas more than 18 thousand houses were bombed and devastated during the military onslaught on Gaza.

Humanitarian and legal bodies and institutions including the United Nations, OCHA and B’Tselem confirm that the planning policies applied by Israel in Area C and East Jerusalem discriminate against Palestinians, making it extremely difficult for them to obtain building permits.

“As a result, many Palestinians build without permits to meet their housing needs and risk having their structures demolished. Palestinians must have the opportunity to participate in a fair and equitable planning system that ensures their needs are met,” OCHA reports.

M.N/M.H