Hundreds of Israeli forces have begun demolishing homes in the Palestinian village of Sur Baher amid Palestinian and international outcry on 22 July.
In an interview with Palestinian News Agency WAFA, the head of the Anti-Wall, Anti-Settlements Commission, Walid Assaf stated that so far “a two-story building was demolished and another one, consisting of several floors, was evacuated in preparation to demolish it”.
Assaf stated that such demolitions constitute a war crime.
Sur Baher was illegally captured by Israel following the 1967 war and is located along the line separating occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
The neighbourhood of Wadi al-Hummus in Sur Baher is under Palestinian Authority control and classified as Area A in the Oslo accords.
However, as Al Jazeera reported, Israeli authorities try to legitimise authorisations to demolish Palestinian buildings claim that the homes which are close to the Israeli separation wall pose a security threat to Israel.
Al Jazeera‘s Rob Matheson, reporting form the demolition zone said “in the early hours of the morning, while it was still dark, Israeli forces moved into the house and removed the family. They took the family away – we heard screaming and shouting. And within two hours, 50 per cent of the building has been destroyed.”
United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick called on the Israeli authorities last week to stop the demolition plans.
Neta Golan, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) stated this morning that together with the illegal demolishing of Palestinian homes, Israeli forces brutally attacked international activists from Britain, the US, France, Spain and China.
She stated that “hundreds of soldiers stormed the neighbourhood of Wadi al-Hummus at 4am, eventually smashing down the door of Ismail Obeide‘s house where 7 activists from the ISM and dozens of Palestinians were keeping a protective presence”.
British activist Chris Richardson was severely injured in the attack even carrying a footprint mark on his chest as Israeli soldiers stamped on him.
Richardson explained that "when the soldiers found us four in the bathroom, they threw multiple tear gas canisters and shut the door. As we started to suffocate in the smallest room in the house, soldiers burst in and dragged us violently, pulling at every possible part, regardless of safety or policy”.
He continued saying “I was dragged by my feet and lifted up, kicked in the stomach, then one soldier in particular stamped on my head four times, at full force, then standing on my head and pulling at my hair, he then stamped on my throat and others started punching my torso. It was an unprecedented and sadistic display of violence by the border police."
Lead image: Anadolou Agency