UN Warns of Mass Displacement: ‘Israel’ Razed over 1,500 Palestinian Structures in West Bank

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations has reported a significant surge in “Israel’s” demolition of Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied West Bank throughout 2024, a trend that aligns with apartheid entity’s recent appointment of a so-called activist advocating illegal settlement construction to oversee Palestinian property in East al-Quds.

According to the latest findings from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA], there have been 1,528 demolitions in West Bank this year, resulting in the displacement of 3,637 Palestinians.

The demolitions have primarily affected residential homes, agricultural infrastructure, and businesses, with Tulkarm and its refugee camp experiencing the highest levels of destruction.

The Tulkarm refugee camp leads the list with 171 instances of demolished infrastructure, followed closely by the Nur Shams refugee camp, which recorded 118 demolitions, according to OCHA.

According to the report, the demolitions can refer to a range of actions, including dismantling, confiscation, or sealing off specific structures or their components, depending on the context and type of the building involved.

The damaged infrastructure includes 700 residential homes, 398 agricultural facilities, and 205 assets essential for livelihoods, including shops and businesses.

Moreover, infrastructure-related demolitions included elements like water pipelines, roadways, and communication networks.

The report comes as “Israel's” finance ministry has appointed Henanel Gurfinkel to oversee Palestinian property in the area. Gurfinkel, a right-wing "activist", has garnered attention for his contentious views regarding East al-Quds, previously claiming that the area is under "Arab occupation."

A recent report from “Israel Hayom” newspaper reveals that “Israeli” settler councils are formulating a strategy to expedite the annexation of the occupied West Bank and additional Palestinian territories in the wake of Donald Trump's re-election in the United States.

The plans include widening the authority of settler councils to extend across regional council areas, effectively giving local authorities control over interconnecting areas, not just their settlement areas, in order to strengthen administration.