Since the beginning of the year, nearly 750 Palestinians have been moved by force due to destruction ordered by the Hebrew State in the West Bank and in Jerusalem.
by
On September 21, the Israeli army invaded the Bédouin hamlet of Ein Samiya, in the rocky hills near Ramallah, in an occupied West Bank, to demolish two houses. The school, built with European aid and inaugurated in January, is also threatened: on August 10, an Israeli court ordered its destruction, arguing that it was built without a license – Israel almost never delivered For Palestinians in zone C, 60 % of the West Bank which he completely controls. Immediately afterwards, European diplomats rushed to the scene to protest. “The continuous practice of demolitions and evictions in zone C and in occupied East Jerusalem is in violation of international humanitarian law and must stop,” said the representative of the European Union (EU), Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, in a press release Accompanied by a beautiful group photo of representatives, in a row under a blazing sun.
Israel regularly destroys structures funded by European taxpayer money, without ever being sanctioned. Between November 2020 and July 2021, Khirbet Humsa, a Bedouin hamlet in the north of the Jourdain valley, was thus partially or entirely demolished seven times by the Israeli army. Each time, the Europeans rebuilt, then the army came to the ground on the pretext that the hamlet is located on a shooting area. “About 200 structures were destroyed in eight months,” recalls Christopher Holt, director of the West Bank Protection Consortium, an alliance which brings together five international NGOs, supported among others by the EU. The Palestinians ended up leaving, settled right next to the initial location of Khirbet Humsa.
“Between 2017 and 2021, each year, there is an increase in property destruction”, reports Christopher Holt. Since January, more than 650 structures where around 750 Palestinians have been demolished by Israel in the West Bank and Jerusalem; Just over 13 % had been funded by donors, mostly European countries. Between fines, the cost of demolitions that Palestinians must pay themselves and the consequences on access to education or health, the overall economic effect of destruction is difficult to assess.
Request for compensation
Since 2000, the EU has granted more than 852 million euros in humanitarian aid to Palestinians, partially funding the needs of civilians as guaranteed by international law but that the Israeli occupation refuses to take charge . In 2014, European countries gathered in the EU council promised to “systematically protest against each case of demolition/confiscation affecting projects funded by the EU or by a Member State” and to initiate a dialogue with the Israelis in this subject. If no results are noted, the EU will demand from Israel “that it restores or compensates for demolished and/or confiscated goods”. At the end of 2017, under the leadership of Belgium, eight member states, including France, require, in a letter, the reimbursement of more than 30,000 euros after the destruction and confiscation of equipment to produce solar energy. Since then, regularly, European countries have claimed compensation, in vain.
You have 48.31% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.