UN Warns of Increased Demolitions and Displacement in Masafer Yatta

Gaza: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned of an increase in demolitions of Palestinian homes and property by the Israeli occupation authorities in Masafer Yatta, south of the occupied West Bank, in recent days. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq stated during the daily press briefing that Israeli authorities on Tuesday demolished 20 homes and other structures, including a water tank and solar panels, in two Palestinian pastoral communities in the area. Haq added that a third community was demolished on Wednesday, displacing nearly 60 Palestinians, half of them children, and affecting another 30 people who remain in the area for the current season. He noted that many of the destroyed structures had been built with donor support. Around 1,200 Palestinians live in 13 communities in Masafer Yatta, all of which face pressure to leave the area. OCHA said the pressure has intensified amid escalating settl er violence against these communities following the establishment of settlement outposts in the area in recent years. Across the occupied West Bank, OCHA has documented the displacement of around 1,500 Palestinians this year due to demolitions, while more than 2,600 others have been displaced due to settler violence and related restrictions.