WEST BANK, (The Palestinian Information Center) The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) demolished the minaret of a mosque in the town of Dura, located in al-Khalil in the southern occupied West Bank, for allegedly being built without an Israeli permit.
Saher Al-Darawish, the Director of Endowments (Awqaf) in Dura, told Anadolu Agency that Israeli army forces raided the outskirts of Dura on Wednesday and began demolishing a minaret that was still under construction.
Al-Darawish noted that construction of the minaret began about a year ago, while the mosque itself had been built earlier.
He added that the demolition was carried out under the pretext of “building without a permit in Area C.”
Under the Oslo II Accords between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, the West Bank was divided into three administrative areas: Area A, under full Palestinian control, Area B, under Palestinian civil control and joint Israeli-Palestinian security control, and Area C under full Israeli civil and security control.
Earlier the same day, the Israeli army also demolished two Palestinian homes in the town of Al-Khader, south of the occupied West Bank, under the same pretext, according to eyewitnesses.
Israeli authorities prohibit Palestinians from building or expanding in Area C without permits, which local and international organizations say are nearly impossible to obtain.
In August, the IOF carried out 57 demolition operations, affecting 125 structures, including 39 homes, 52 agricultural facilities, and 20 sources of livelihood, among others, according to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission. The IOF also issued 21 new demolition notices for Palestinian structures.
In parallel with its ongoing war in Gaza, the Israeli army and settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank, including Occupied Jerusalem, resulting in the killing of at least 1,017 Palestinians, the injury of approximately 7,000, and the arrest of more than 18,500 people, according to Palestinian data.
