The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OCHA) said that the Israeli occupation authorities have demolished 617 buildings or have been confiscated in the West Bank since the beginning of 2019 .
In the "Protection of Civilians" report, which covers the period from 10 to 23 December 2019, the office stated that these demolitions resulted in the displacement of 898 Palestinians. He pointed out that these numbers represent an increase of 35 and 92%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2018 . He explained: "20% of the total buildings that were targeted in 2019, and about 40% of all buildings that were provided as aid with donor funding, are located in the firing zones that cover about 30% of the area of ​​Area C." And OCHA added: "During one of the demolitions in a shooting area east of Nablus, the occupation forces uprooted or cut about 2,500 trees and seedlings." "The trees were part of a recreational area (also described by the Palestinians as a natural reserve), and they served about 14,000 residents of the town of Beit Furik and Khirbet Tana pastoral community close to it," the UN report showed. He stated that the occupation authorities demolished 29 Palestinian buildings or forced their owners to demolish them in Area C and the occupied city of Jerusalem during the past two weeks, on the pretext of their lack of building permits, which led to the displacement of 45 Palestinians and damaged more than 100 others . He pointed out that 12 of the targeted buildings, including 5 buildings that were provided as humanitarian aid earlier, are located in 3 pastoral clusters in areas classified as shooting areas for military training purposes in Tubas, Nablus and Jericho . He noted that about 80 Palestinian farmers from 3 villages in Salfit governorate have lost access to their lands located behind the neighbor, after the occupation authorities confiscated the entry permits granted to them . The report stated that during the past two weeks, the occupation forces wounded a total of 129 Palestinians, including 44 children, during the "Great Return March" demonstrations on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip . He reported that the occupation forces shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian on December 17, east of Khan Yunis, and his body was detained by the occupation authorities . The occupation forces opened fire in the areas bordering the border fence and off the Gaza coast, about 15 times, in the context of imposing restrictions on access. The occupation forces also carried out an incursion and bulldozing operation near the fence, and arrested 4 Palestinians, including 3 children, near the border fence in two separate incidents . In the West Bank, the Occupation Forces wounded 14 Palestinians, including at least 3 children, in several incidents . According to the "OCHA" report, the occupation forces carried out a total of 154 searches and arrests across the West Bank and arrested 146 Palestinians, including at least 17 children . The largest number of these operations was recorded in the Jerusalem governorate; 41 operations, particularly in the Issawiya town, were followed by the Ramallah 34 and Hebron 27 governorates . During the past two weeks, settlers injured 4 Palestinians and damaged about 330 olive trees and seven vehicles during 8 attacks in the West Bank .
