Israeli military bulldozers invaded, Monday, the village of Yasuf, east of Salfit in the occupied West Bank’s central part, and demolished the agricultural, citing its location in Area C.
Wael Abu Madi, head of the Yasuf Village Council, stated that the targeted road, paved by the council two years ago, serves as a vital agricultural route connecting the village to its farmlands in the east.
Abu Madi emphasized that the area faces ongoing targeting by Israeli authorities, describing the bulldozing as part of a systematic policy aimed at disrupting the lives of residents and undermining Palestinian presence in the area.
The towns and villages of Salfit Governorate are witnessing continuous escalation and violations by Israeli forces, including stop-work orders, demolition of homes and structures, as part of efforts to seize more Palestinian lands and expand the illegal colonies.
Area C makes up about 60% of the occupied West Bank and is completely under Israeli control. It was initially meant to be temporary under the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, but its status has lingered on.
For Palestinians living there, building permits are nearly impossible to obtain, and when structures are built without permits from the so-called Civil Administration Office, the administrative branch of the illegal Israeli occupation, they are demolished or face demolition orders – this includes homes, schools, and even basic community facilities.
Israel’s illegal colonies in Area C continue to expand, further displacing Palestinian families and cutting off their access to land.
While Israel continues to build and expand its illegal colonies, Palestinian communities and towns in occupied Jerusalem and various areas in the occupied West Bank continue to be denied the right to build homes and property under various allegations meant to prevent the expansion of Palestinian towns and neighborhoods.
All of Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, in addition to various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory.”
