Israel should be held accountable for housing demolitions, say UN experts

GENEVA

The international community must take action to stop Israel's systematic and deliberate demolition of homes, arbitrary displacement, and forced expulsion of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, UN experts said Monday.

In January alone, Israeli authorities reportedly demolished 132 Palestinian structures across 38 communities in the West Bank, including 34 residential and 15 donor-funded structures, said the experts.

This figure represents a 135% increase compared to the same period in 2022 and includes five punitive demolitions.

"The systematic demolition of Palestinian homes, erection of illegal Israeli settlements, and systematic denial of building permits for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank amounts to 'domicide,'" they said.

The experts are Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; and Paula Gaviria Betancur, special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.

They reiterated their concern over the situation in Masafer Yatta, where over 1,100 Palestinian residents remain at imminent risk of forced eviction, arbitrary displacement, and demolition of their homes, livelihood, water, and sanitation structures.

In November, Israeli authorities demolished a donor-funded school in Isfey al Fauqa, a southern West Bank village.

Four other schools in the area are under demolition orders.

"Direct attacks on the Palestinian people's homes, schools, livelihoods, and water sources are nothing but Israel's attempts to curtail the Palestinians' right to self-determination and to threaten their very existence," the experts said.

They explained that in occupied East Jerusalem, tens of Palestinian families also face imminent risks of forced evictions and displacement due to discriminatory zoning and planning regimes that favor Israeli settlement expansion.

'Illegal under international law'

The experts said such acts were "illegal under international law" and amount to a war crime.

They also expressed alarm at the Israeli government's endorsement and growing practice of punitive evictions and demolitions and other punitive measures applied to alleged perpetrators of "terrorist" attacks and their family members.

Such actions include revoking identity documents, citizenship and residency rights, and social security benefits.

On Jan. 29, Israeli authorities announced measures to immediately seal off family homes of those suspected of carrying out attacks on Jan. 27-28 in occupied East Jerusalem.

These included one attack in the settlement of Neve Yacoub on Jan. 27, killing at least seven Israelis.

Two families of the alleged attackers were forcibly evicted from their homes, and more than 40 people, including family members, were reportedly arrested over the attacks.

"The sealing of family homes of suspected offenders and the subsequent demolition of their homes is in fundamental disrespect of international human rights norms and the rule of law," according to the experts.

"We regret that impunity prevails, in particular for human rights violations and potential war crimes committed by the occupying power. It is high time for international adjudication bodies to determine the nature of the Israeli occupation and seek justice and accountability for all crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian Territory."

They said that they repeatedly raised concerns with the Israeli government on these issues, but have not received a response.