Palestinian children face Israeli soldiers as they demonstrate against the demolition of their homes in al-Walaja, 3 Sept 2018. Photo: Jamie Naylor.
Israeli armed forces attacked Palestinian demonstrators as they demolished four homes, continuing a programme of hundreds this year. Jamie Naylor reports from the West Bank
On 3rd September, the Israeli military demolished four Palestinian homes in the village of al-Walaja, in the West Bank. A total of 35 people were living in these homes, including 18 children.
The video below is of a demonstration near one of the homes, which I filmed.
The Israeli military pushed and kicked the Palestinians and threw sound bombs to prevent them from interfering with the demolition. At least three Palestinians, including one child, needed to receive medical attention as a result of the Israeli violence.
According to the UN, the Israeli authorities demolished or seized 197 homes and other structures in Palestine in the first half of 2018.
Israel says that these demolitions take place because the Palestinians do not have Israeli permits to build, but according to the UN it is “virtually impossible” to obtain these permits, with only 1.5% of applications from 2010 to 2014 being approved. In order to have somewhere to live, Palestinians must build their homes without permits.
Images from the protest
