Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Israel confiscates Red Cross tents from Palestinian families

A Palestinian bedouin woman stands next to her destroyed tent in the village of Atouf in the Jordan Valley. (AFP/Saif Dahlah)
 
Israeli authorities on Monday confiscated 10 tents donated to Palestinians in the Jordan Valley by the International Committee of the Red Cross, Israeli rights group B'Tselem said.

"This morning, Nov. 30, 2015, Civil Administration and military personnel arrived at al-Hadidiya in the northern Jordan Valley and confiscated ten tents donated to residents by the ICRC and the local council, after the Israeli authorities demolished their homes last week," the group said.

"The families are without shelter at the moment."

Four of the tents served as housing for the 19 Palestinian villagers, including six children, while a further six were reserved in case of future demolitions.

Last Wednesday, Israeli military forces destroyed an access road to the village and destroyed housing, storage facilities, and livestock pens, leaving the families homeless.

Israel's Civil Administration destroyed the families' homes in 2011, but they had since been rebuilt.

"Using the excuse of enforcing building laws, Israel is pursuing a policy designed to reduce the number of Palestinians living in Area C, by making their lives there intolerable," B'Tselem said.

"This government policy, which has been systematically implemented for years, constitutes the forcible transfer of protected persons inside the occupied territory -- whether directly by demolishing their homes or indirectly by creating unlivable conditions.



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