Israel Demolishes Khirbet Tana

Monday February 21, 2011 20:59 by David Steele - 1 of International Middle East Media Center Editorial Group

Israeli forces demolished a number of tents near Nablus yesterday, reports the Ma'an News Agency.

The tents belonged to villagers of Tana, a village located east of Nablus, and had been donated by the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Red Cross. It was reported that bulldozers and military jeeps were involved in the demolition. The residents have thus been left homeless and vulnerable to weather. Parts of the West Bank and Israel have experienced heavy rainfall and storms recently, adding to the hardships faced by the families concerned. This is the fourth such demolition in less than 18 months.

Tana is located within Area C, which covers some 60% of the West Bank and is under full Israeli military control. Residents need permits to live in the area (including for longstanding villages that pre-date Israel's occupation of the West Bank), but these are often refused. The UN has noted that, in contrast to the plight of Palestinians living in Area C, Israeli settlements have detailed approval plans. Moreover, even settlement outposts, which are illegal in Israeli law as well as international law, are very rarely demolished.

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