The Israeli occupation authorities demolished, seized, or forced owners to demolish a total of 31 Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank due to lack of Israeli-issued building permits displacing 32 people, including 14 children, and affecting the livelihoods of around 680 other people, according to the bi-weekly Protection of Civilians report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territory covering the period between 10 and 23 August.

It said a one-story building was also demolished by its owners, displacing four families (15 people), in the Shufat neighborhood of East Jerusalem. This followed a final decision by the Israeli Supreme Court, which ruled that settlers owned the land on which the houses were built, giving the families 20 days to evacuate their houses. This is disputed by the Palestinian owners who say that they bought the land in 1952.

Also, on 10 August, an agricultural road was leveled by the Israeli authorities in Battir village in the Bethlehem district affecting access to land for around 100 families (500 people).

In addition, around 100 children were affected by the demolition of an extension to a building planned to be used as a kindergarten in the Beit Safafa neighborhood of East Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, eight Palestinians were killed by Israeli army gunfire since August 10, including two boys, while four of them were killed during an Israeli army operation in Jenin on August 15.

On 24 August, a 15-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed by Israeli forces during an Israeli search-and-arrest operation in Balata refugee camp in Nablus in the north of the West Bank.

Another 13-year-old boy died today of his wounds sustained last Saturday when Israeli soldiers opened fire at Palestinians rallying near the northeastern Gaza border with Israel. A 32-year-old man was also shot and wounded during that event and later succumbed to his wounds and died on August 25.

Another Palestinian, aged 25, died on 11 August of wounds he sustained during another search-and-arrest operation in Jenin city on 3 August.

Fifty-five Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank this year, all by live ammunition, said OCHA in its report.

Israeli settlers injured at least six Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, in the West Bank, said the UN agency. In one incident on 17 August, settlers struck a boy with their vehicle near Silat al-Dhahr village near Jenin, abducted him to the previously-evacuated Israeli settlement Homesh, tied him to a tree and beat him until he lost consciousness. An Israeli military jeep found the boy two hours later and handed him over to an ambulance. The boy was taken to hospital where he was treated for contusions and burns.

Five other Palestinians were stoned or physically assaulted, including a woman in the Israeli-controlled H2 area of Hebron city, a driver in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, and three farmers in Urif village near Nablus.

Israeli settlers also vandalized or stole at least 30 Palestinian-owned olive trees and saplings. In one raid into Asira al Qibliya in Nablus, settlers stoned houses and set fire to farmland, causing damage. A number of incidents involving settlers and local Palestinians were recorded in Khirbet Zanuta near Hebron in which one Palestinian farmer was detained by Israeli security forces.

Overall, Israeli forces injured 221 Palestinians across the West Bank during the reporting period, said OCHA. Of the total injured, 152 people were wounded during ongoing protests against settlement activity near Beita.

Israeli forces carried out 92 search-and-arrest operations and arrested 104 Palestinians across the West Bank. Most of the operations took place in the Jerusalem and Hebron governorates.

Since 23 August, Israeli forces have closed the main entrance of Sinjil village in Ramallah with earth mounds, in addition to a nearby road, forcing local Palestinians to rely on long detours, disrupting their access to services and livelihoods. Around 7,000 Palestinian residents have been affected by the closure.

Source : Safa