’Israel’ Demolishes WB Homeless Shelters

Local Editor

"Israel" has demolished several European Union-funded humanitarian housing shelters in a strip of West Bank land near Occupied al-Quds, an EU official said Friday.

"On April 9, three of some 18 residential structures were demolished... in Jabal al-Baba," an area outside the Zionist settlement of Maale Adumim, a spokesman for the EU's delegation to the Palestinian territories announced.

The tin huts, used to house Palestinians made homeless by severe winter weather at the beginning of the year, were "partially funded by EU member states," the official said.

"Israel" issued demolition orders on all 18 structures in February, the official said, and EU delegates "raised this with the "Israeli" authorities" both at that time of and after the demolitions.

The EU official said simply that there were ongoing discussions with "Israeli" authorities over the demolitions, but a report by EurActiv, a Brussels-based news service, said diplomats were demanding financial compensation.

"We should ask for compensation from "Israel" whenever EU-funded humanitarian aid projects are destroyed," EurActiv quoted an anonymous diplomat as saying.

"Israel" has been planning construction in al-Quds E1 region since the early 1990s but nothing has ever been built there due to heavy international pressure.

Plans for building 1,200 units unveiled in December 2012 were quickly put on the back burner after the announcement triggered a major diplomatic backlash.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team