[News] Israel razes village, leaves 41 children homeless

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/israel-razes-village-leaves-41-children-homeless
Israel
razes village, leaves 41 children homeless

Tamara Nassar <https://electronicintifada.net/people/tamara-nassar> - 5
November 2020
------------------------------
[image: Woman inspects destroyed structures]

A Palestinian woman inspects the ruins of her community after it was
demolished by Israeli occupation forces in the occupied West Bank area of
Khirbet Humsa on 3 November.
APA images

While all eyes were on the United States elections this week, Israel
carried out the largest demolition in occupied territory in years.

Israeli forces arrived in the occupied West Bank community of Khirbet Humsa
on Tuesday and demolished 76 structures.

This was “more than in any other single demolition in the past decade,” said
<https://www.ochaopt.org/content/west-bank-witnesses-largest-demolition-years>
the interim UN humanitarian coordinator Yvonne Helle.

Destroyed structures include homes, kitchens, bathrooms, animal shelters
and solar panels.

More than 70 Palestinians were made homeless, including 41 children,
totaling 11 families. Three quarters of the community’s population “lost
their shelters,” Helle added.

It was “the largest forced displacement incident in over four years.”

Israel destroyed 30 tons of livestock fodder and seized the vehicles and
tractors of three residents as well, according
<https://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20201104_number_of_palestinians_israel_left_homeless_hits_four_year_record_in_pandemic>
to Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.

The group recorded footage of the destroyed community following the
demolition:

Describing the scene of the destruction, the Safa Palestinian Press Agency
said <https://safa.news/post/294540/> “it was as if a hurricane had struck
it, leaving nothing intact.”

The Khirbet Humsa community has faced Israeli harassment
<https://www.wafa.ps/ar_page.aspx?id=jYxt2Na822894209577ajYxt2N> for years.

Helle reminded that “extensive destruction” of homes and the “forcible
transfer” of Palestinians demonstrate “grave breaches” of international
humanitarian law.
“Firing zone”

Khirbet Humsa lies in a so-called “firing zone” in the Jordan Valley region
of the occupied West Bank, east of the town of Tubas.

Israel uses such designations to forcibly displace indigenous Palestinian
communities or prevent them from accessing their land.

Palestinians living in such zones, including in Khirbet Humsa, are ordered
to vacate their homes
<https://electronicintifada.net/content/nowhere-go-nowhere-live/25886> when
Israel conducts military combat exercises.

Israel has declared more than half of the West Bank’s Jordan Valley a closed
military zone
<https://www.ochaopt.org/sites/default/files/ocha_opt_firing_zone_factsheet_august_2012_english.pdf>
.

Palestinians see the ultimate aim of these zones as an attempt to annex
these areas to Israel.

Israel’s demolition of Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, has skyrocketed
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/israel-makes-hundreds-palestinians-homeless-during-pandemic>
this year, despite the pandemic.

Israel made more Palestinians homeless in the first 10 months of this year
than any other year on record since 2016, B’Tselem said
<https://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20201104_number_of_palestinians_israel_left_homeless_hits_four_year_record_in_pandemic>
.
EU offers regret, not condemnation

The European Union said the demolition was part of a “regrettable trend”
since the beginning of the year.

This includes Israeli plans
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/israel-seeks-demolish-eubritish-funded-school>
to demolish a Palestinian elementary school funded by the European Union
and the United Kingdom, according
<https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/88156/statement-spokesperson-israeli-demolitions-palestinian-structures_en>
to EU foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano.

Such demolitions, he added, are “an impediment towards the two-state
solution.”

The EU statement – tepid as it is – failed to directly condemn the
demolition.

That’s not surprising.

Even when Israel destroys tens of million of dollars
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/charlotte-silver/israel-has-destroyed-74-million-worth-eu-projects>
of projects for Palestinians paid for by European taxpayers, the EU still
does nothing to hold it accountable.

On the contrary
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/eu-and-israel-donald-trump-taste-fine-wine>,
such actions have little effect on the EU’s relationship with Israel.

This all forms part of what appears a vicious cycle: the EU funds
Palestinian projects and structures in the occupied West Bank, Israel
threatens to demolish such structures, the EU occasionally expresses
“concern” over Israel’s plans, Israeli forces carry out intended
demolitions, the EU rewards Israel with closer cooperation and investment.

If Israel’s demolitions are “an impediment,” the EU’s complacency is just
as much an obstacle – not just to the already moribund two-state solution –
but also to any form of Palestinian liberation from Israel’s violent
colonization of their land.
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