he Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants said today, Sunday, that Israel committed "war crimes" against the Palestinians by escalating the policies of home demolitions.
The ministry confirmed, in a press release, that house demolitions are a "war crime" according to the International Criminal Court, and that it continues to work to hold all Israeli officials accountable for this crime.
The Ministry referred to the monthly report issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "OCHA", which showed that Israel demolished or confiscated 617 buildings in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during 2019, which led to the displacement of 898 Palestinians.
The ministry said that these numbers, which represent an increase of 35 percent compared to the same period in 2018, are new evidence that Israel "continues to violate its obligations towards Palestinian citizens under occupation."
She warned that international law "affirms the necessity of the occupying power´s commitment to providing all necessary services to citizens, including infrastructure, facilitating life, and providing the necessary permits for construction within the need and natural growth of the population, and therefore the ongoing demolition of homes is in complete contradiction with the responsibilities that Israel bears."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that Israel imposes severe complications on granting Palestinians permits to build homes, however, the reason for house demolitions is not due in all cases to the lack of permits.
