The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) have notified the demolition of a number of Palestinian houses in Deir Ballut town west of Salfit in the central West Bank.
Activist Daoud Abdullah said that the Israeli army had informed Deir Ballut Municipality that it would demolish the uninhabited houses located in Area C.
In a related context Jerusalem Legal Center has warned that the IOA will step up restrictions on the Palestinian construction activity in Area C.
According to Deir Ballut Municipality the targeted houses are located east of the town near Leshem settlement which is built by force on privately-owned Palestinian lands and is being expanded at the expense of Deir Ballut lands.
Anti-settlement researcher Khaled Ma’ali said that villages and towns west of Salfit are constantly targeted with settlement expansion projects explaining that the Israeli authorities are planning to create a settlement bloc extending from Za’tara checkpoint to the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories.
Ma’ali pointed out that the targeted houses of Deir Ballut have been repeatedly notified with demolition adding that the IOA may demolish them all at once which violates international humanitarian law.
