OCHA Accuses Israel of Over 4000 Forced Displacements

Israel displaced some 4,000 Palestinians in the occupied areas of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This figure is the highest so far according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

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"In 2023, about 4,000 Palestinians were displaced due to policies and practices implemented by Israeli authorities or Israeli settlers" in the occupied territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the agency said in a report.

"These are the highest figures OCHA has ever recorded of Palestinians displaced in a year," after systematically documenting the displacement of Palestinians since 2009, he added.

Israeli forces have destroyed houses and buildings for alleged lack of building permits, forcing 1,325 Palestinians, including 645 children, to move.

Moreover, violent actions in the West Bank have damaged more than 222 structures leaving more than 800 Palestinians homeless, of which more than 300 are children.

In addition to the violence, the restrictions on movement imposed on Palestinians by Israeli settlers prevented many families from finding new homes by having to live on the streets.

OCHA asserts "These actions, committed by the Israeli authorities or with their approval or acquiescence to force Palestinians to leave their homes and lands (...) pose risks of forced displacement, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law".