OCHA: Palestinians could not build on 44% of West Bank lands

PIC

[ 16/12/2009 - 11:29 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that the Palestinians in the West Bank could not build on 44% of its lands because they are allocated for Israeli occupation army and settlers.

OCHA said in a statement on Tuesday that the Israeli restrictions on use of West Bank lands especially those categorized as C in the Oslo accords are among the causes of many Palestinians' tragic life conditions as they could not build basic infrastructure such as schools, clinics and others.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians who could not obtain construction permits go ahead and build without them, which threaten their demolition at the hands of the Israeli forces, the statement said, adding that 180 houses were demolished this year in C areas.

OCHA asked Israel to immediately refrain from its demolition policy and to meet the Palestinian needs in organizing the construction and to freeze settlement activity on those lands.