In Pictures

Palestinian homes demolished by Israeli troops

Palestinians accuse Israel of using ‘security’ as a pretext to force them out and expand illegal settlements.

Israeli security forces tear down one of the Palestinian buildings still under construction. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]

22 Jul 2019

Israeli troops, accompanied by bulldozers, began demolishing homes in the Palestinian village of Sur Baher on Monday.

Residents of the village’s Wadi al-Hummus neighbourhood told local media that 16 residential buildings, which hold about 100 apartments, were targeted.

The Israeli military considers the homes, which are close to an Israeli separation wall that crisscrosses the occupied West Bank, a security risk.

The Israeli Supreme Court ended a seven-year legal battle when it ruled in favour of the military last month, and set Monday as the deadline to knock down the homes. Palestinians say the move sets a precedent for other towns along the route of the barrier, which runs for hundreds of kilometres around and through the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians accuse Israel of using “security” as a pretext to force them out of the area as part of long-term efforts to expand illegal settlements.

All settlements on occupied Palestinian lands are illegal under international law.

The European Union issued a statement saying: “The continuation of this policy undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace.”

Gilad Erdan, Israel’s internal security minister, accused the EU of buying into “the lies of the Palestinians”.

Palestinians watch as an Israeli military bulldozer demolishes a building in Sur Baher. [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

An Israeli flag is seen as security forces tear down one of the Palestinian buildings in the Wadi al-Hummus area. [Hazem Bader/AFP]

Residents of Wadi al-Hummus told local media that 16 residential buildings were targeted. [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

The Israeli military considers the homes a security risk. [Hazem Bader/AFP]

An Israeli army excavator demolishes a building in the village of Sur Baher. The sprawling village straddles the line between occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. [Abed al-Hashlamoup/EPA]

Palestinians accuse Israel of using 'security' as a pretext to force them out of the area, meant to be under Palestinian Authority civilian control under the Oslo accords. [Hazem Bader/AFP]

Israeli Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the residents 'are making their own law' by constructing these buildings. [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]

The European Union issued a statement saying: 'The continuation of this policy undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace.' [Ammar Awad/Reuters]