Israel began demolishing a number of Palestinian homes it considers illegal south of Jerusalem early yesterday, in a move that has drawn international concern.
The Palestinians immediately slammed the demolitions in the Sur Baher area, which straddles the West Bank and Jerusalem, but Israel defended the move as essential to its security.
Before dawn, hundreds of Israeli police and soldiers sealed off at least four buildings in the area close to the Israeli security barrier that cuts off the occupied West Bank, an AFP journalist said.
Reporters were prevented from reaching the buildings, while residents and activists were dragged out of the homes.
Earthmovers then began demolishing at least three multistory buildings, of which two were still under construction, the journalist said.
One man yelled “I want to die here,” after being forced out.
Ismail Abadiyeh, who lives in one of the buildings under threat with his family, said: “We will be on the street.”
Israel says the buildings were built too close to the separation barrier that it built to stop attacks from the West Bank.
Palestinians accuse Israel of using security as a pretext to force them out of the area as part of long-term efforts to expand settlements and roads linking them.
They also point out that most of the buildings are located in areas meant to be under Palestinian National Authority civilian control under the agreements between the Palestinian and Israeli governments.
The Palestinian government said the demolitions were a breach of all agreements they signed with Israel.
“What is painfully happening here is the biggest and most dangerous demolition operation outside of war operations,” Walid Asaf, the Palestinian minister in charge of monitoring Israeli settlements, said in a video filmed at the site.
“This operation aims to cut off Jerusalem from Bethlehem [in the southern West Bank],” he added.
Israeli Minister of Public Security and Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan accused the Palestinians of “lies,” saying that the demolition was validated by the state’s top court after a lengthy process.
“The structures were built illegally next to the security fence and constitute a risk to the lives of the civilians and security forces,” Erdan cited the supreme court ruling as saying in a tweet, adding that the demolitions were due to be completed within the day.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the ruling affects 10 buildings already built or under construction, including about 70 apartments.
The demolitions would see 17 people displaced and another 350 affected, the UN said.
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