West Bank demolitions and displacement
Sharp increase in demolition- related displacements in August. 21 stuctures demolished or sized within or next to the E1 settlement expansion area. Over half of demolitions in East Jerusalem in 2020 carried out by the structures’ owners. Seven donor-funded aid structures demolished/seized, while another nine placed at risk.
27 inhabited homes demolished since the start of the pandemic, despite announced moratorium. Ten additional structures demolished using expedited procedure (Military Order 1797). Four humanitarian aid structures demolished and another eight placed at risk.
100 structures demolished or seized in June, the highest level since January 2017. Of the targeted structures, ten were humanitarian aid, including a tent used as a quarantine site. Only six out of 700 housing units announced for Palestinians in Area C were issued permits.
![My son used to live here, but today [14 May] the Israeli authorities demolished his home’ (Dar Faza’a, Ramallah 14 May 2020). Photo by OCHA.](https://www.ochaopt.org/sites/default/files/styles/latestthumbs/public/demolitionmonthlyreport-mayonline.jpg?itok=07MmaHfi "My son used to live here, but today [14 May] the Israeli authorities demolished his home’ (Dar Faza’a, Ramallah 14 May 2020). Photo by OCHA.")
Fifty structures demolished or seized during May. Unprecedented number of demolitions during Ramadan, compared to previous years. First demolitions recorded in East Jerusalem since March. Two aid structures, worth almost EUR 10,500, demolished or seized.
Concern over demolition of homes and WASH structures amid COVID-19 emergency. Increase in structures targeted in the first week of Ramadan, compared to previous years. Ten aid structures, worth almost 20,000, demolished or seized.
Halt in demolitions of inhabited homes during COVID-19 emergency. Concern over ongoing demolition of hygiene-related structures. 16 aid structures, including EU-funded, were demolished or seized.
Ten donor-funded structures demolished or seized. Rise in demolitions and seizures through the use of Military Order 1797. Punitive demolition triggers clashes resulting in two deaths.
The first month of 2020 recorded the demolition/seizure of 11 donor-funded structures. The use of Military Order 1797 in Area C continued in 2020. 53 per cent of targeted structures in East Jerusalem were demolished by their owners.
A 35 and 95 per cent increase in demolitions and displaced persons in 2019, compared with 2018. 127 donor-funded structures were demolished or seized in 2019, a doubling compared with 2018. 204 structures demolished in East Jerusalem this year, a record high over the past two decades. Since July, 19 structures, including six provided as humanitarian assistance, were demolished on the basis of Military Order 1797.
In November 2019, 64 Palestinian-owned structures were demolished or seized, displacing 141 people, including 71 children, and otherwise affecting the livelihoods or access to services of over 400 others. Fifty-seven of these structures, located in Area C or East Jerusalem, were targeted on grounds of lack of building permits, while the other seven, in an Area B community, were demolished on punitive grounds.
