BREAKING NEWS

UN raps Israel for 'wide-scale demolitions' of Palestinian homes

The United Nations saw fit on Friday to issue an urgent press release denouncing Israel for "wide-scale demolitions" of Palestinian homes in the West Bank.
According to the communique issued by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Israeli authorities have accelerated the pace of demolitions in Khirbet Tana, a village just southeast of Nablus.
The UN said that the Civil Administration, the Defense Ministry agency responsible for the West Bank, ordered the razing of 41 structures in the area, which is under full Israeli military and civilian control.
According to OCHA, the demolitions left 36 people homeless, among them 11 children.
"Twelve of the demolished structures had been provided by the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society as humanitarian assistance," OCHA said. "One of the demolished structures was a building that had served as an elementary school for nine students."
"Khirbet Tana is home to approximately 250 people who rely on herding and agriculture for their livelihood," the agency said. "Because the residents of Khirbet Tana need grazing land for their livestock, most have little choice but to stay in the area. Due to the community’s location within an area declared as a “firing zone” for training purposes, residents are denied building permits and have experienced repeated waves of demolitions, the last one taking place on February 9."