HEBRON, November 30, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli authorities Sunday notified Palestinians in al-Baqaa, to the east of Hebron, about their intent to demolish a charity and a house in the village, according to local sources.

Witnesses told WAFA an Israeli army force accompanied by staff from Israel’s Civil Administration broke into the area and handed a written notification to demolish the headquarters of an-Nour Cooperative Society, a local charity, in addition to the house of Abdullah Jaber, which shelters his family. 

Issuance of construction permits for Palestinians living in Area C, under full Israeli administrative and military control, is strictly limited, forcing those living in such areas to embark on construction without obtaining a permit, to provide a shelter for themselves and their families, risking in the process having their homes demolished.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between December 30, 2014 and January 12, 2015, the Israeli authorities demolished 27 Palestinian structures in Area C of the West Bank and five in East Jerusalem, in addition to two self demolition incidents, due to lack of Israeli-issued building permits.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) affirmed that the Israeli authorities do not only demolish Palestinian homes, but also hinder the issuance of any building licenses for Palestinians in Jerusalem and its boundaries.

Al-Maqdisi Institute reported that between the years 2000 and 2014, the Israeli authorities demolished around 1,342 buildings in East Jerusalem (the areas annexed by Israel in 1967), which has resulted in the displacement of approximately 5,760 people.

Many families are forced to demolish their homes with their own hands to avoid the high cost of paying for Israeli government bulldozers.

M.N/M.H