Prime Minister: Israel must be held accountable for targeting Bedouins’ structures in C area

The Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah on Thursday called for an immediate intervention by the international community to put an end  to the destruction of Palestinian-owned property in Area C and for respect for international law.

“Israel must be held accountable for its deliberate targeting of EU-funded humanitarian aid structures built for the Bedouin communities in Area C  ,” said PM Hamdallah.

Israeli Authorities have stepped up their deliberate targeting of EU-funded humanitarian aid structures in an apparent retaliation for the EU guidelines on indication of origin of products from Israeli settlements. During the night of February 20-21, the Israeli army dismantled the only elementary school funded by France for the Abu Nwar Bedouin community which is located east of Jerusalem.

“More than 480 Palestinians have lost their homes and were forcefully transferred – equivalent to over half the total number of Palestinians displaced in all of 2015,” added Jamal Dajani, Director of Strategic Communications & Media at the Prime Minister’s Office.

In a press release on February 24, the EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah expressed deep concern at an unprecedented number of demolitions and confiscations of Palestinian structures in Area C in recent weeks.

“The EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah recall the Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions of May 2012, July 2015 and January 2016, in which the EU called upon Israel to meet its obligations regarding the living conditions of the Palestinian population in Area C as well as its strong opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and actions taken in this context, including demolitions and confiscation, evictions, forced transfers including of Bedouins and restrictions of movement and access.

Source: PNN