Israeli Occupation Government To Increase Structure Demolitions

Monday July 19, 2010 22:13 by Brian Ennis - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli government has ordered the Civil Administration to increase enforcement against, what it believes to be, illegal construction in area C of the West Bank.

There are six areas in the Israeli crosshairs, including the Mt. Hebron and Jordan Valley areas, according to a deposition by an administration official to the High Court. The administration official, Cnl. Zvika Cohen, was responding to a petition by Regavim.

A month ago, the High Court deliberated the words of state representative Nahi Ben-Or, who claimed that there had been no enforcement against illegal construction. At the end of the deliberations, the court ordered that the State provide additional evidence, and called the response inadequete.

The report said, "The Defence Ministry has given instruction to step up enforcement against illegally built Palestinian structures, giving priority to structures that pose a security threat." Although the Government doesn't intend to destroy buildings in al-Bireh, it does intend to target Palestinian homes in general. Two buildings near Hebron were destroyed on Thursday.

Regavim chief Yehuda Eliyahu said, "[a]s far as we can see,on the ground there has been no increase in supervision in places with a security threat. Once more, the State is offering excuses. Why not enforce [the law] in the Palestinian Community? With the sort of backing the state receives from the High Court against enforcement in the Palestinian communites, we can understand why the country is losing so much ground."

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