OCHA reports that In June the Israeli authorities demolished, forced people to demolish, or seized 91 Palestinian-owned structures across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Twenty of the structures demolished or seized had been provided as humanitarian aid. In addition, an EU-funded school in Um Qussa (Hebron), at a value of over 14,000 euros, received a stop-work order, while another three donor-funded residential structures received a notice to submit an objection to previously issued demolition orders.

The overall result was the displacement of 108 people, including 62 children, and otherwise affected the livelihoods, or access to services, of nearly 2,700 others. All the structures were located in Area C or East Jerusalem, and were targeted for lacking building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain.

The number of structures demolished or seized in June is the second highest this year, surpassed only by February (when there were 153), with a sevenfold increase, or 600 per cent, compared with May (when there were 13).

So far in 2021, the proportion of structures demolished by their owners in East Jerusalem, following the issuance of demolition orders, reached 45 per cent, up from an average of 27 per cent in the previous five years. This is attributed to new Israeli legislation, which limits the authority of Israeli courts to intervene and enables the Jerusalem Municipality to exert pressure on families to demolish their properties themselves.

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