Israel detains 15 Palestinians, demolishes 6 structures in West Bank

By Awad Rajoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Israeli army forces rounded up 15 Palestinians in overnight raids and demolished several structures in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.

The detainees were taken into Israeli custody in the cities of Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin, and Nablus, the state news agency Wafa reported.

In a related development, Israeli forces demolished six Palestinian structures in the West Bank, according to a local committee.

In a statement, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said two houses were brought down in Jericho and the town of Kafr Al-Dik in Salfit city, while four other structures were razed in Anata town, northeast of Jerusalem.

Israel widely uses the pretext of lack of construction permits to demolish Palestinian homes, especially in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which constitutes around 60% of its space.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions – Area A, B, and C.

Area C is under Israel’s administrative and security control until a final status agreement is reached with the Palestinians.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat in Ankara