Israel has displaced 13 Palestinian families in West Bank since July: UN

ISTANBUL

Israeli authorities have displaced 13 Palestinian families from the town of Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank since July, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Tuesday.

Some 44 children and 40 adults were forced to leave their homes in Masafer Yatta, OCHA said in a statement.

“Located in the southern West Bank, Masafer Yatta’s 13 communities were, until recently, home to 215 Palestinian households comprising about 1,150 people. The area is within the 18% of the West Bank declared by the Israeli authorities as “firing zones” and allocated for military training,” said the statement.

It noted that over the last three months, those who have been forced to leave their homes make up approximately 7% of the total population.

Israel has imposed stricter restrictions on movement in the region since May last year, seized properties, demolished homes and conducted military training in the area, the statement said.

“The forcible transfer of civilians from, or within, the occupied Palestinian territory is prohibited under international humanitarian law,” it added.

The statement also said that humanitarian assistance in Masafer Yatta has been hindered by the Israeli authorities, who have issued demolition orders, confiscated equipment, restricted access and seized rehabilitation materials, leading to the suspension of an emergency shelter project initiated in May this year.

The statement urged Israeli authorities to stop “all coercive measures, including movement restrictions, planned evictions, demolitions and military training in residential areas.”