By IRNA,
London : The British branch of a Jewish campaign group opposed the annexation of the West Bank and Gaza Wednesday condemned Israeli regime’s long-term strategy to inflict collective punishment on the Palestinians.
“Since 1967, more than 18,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished by the Israelis and fewer than 10 per cent have had anything to do with security reasons,” the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions UK (ICAHUK) said.
“There are many ‘legal’ pretexts, but essentially homes are destroyed to free up land for Israeli settlements, to build settler- only highways, to construct the “separation barrier” and to build massive military installations,” ICAHUK.
The warning that the Israeli demotion policy has already made over 100,000 Palestinians homeless comes after the latest incursion into Gaza to strike fear into the hearts of the Palestinians.
ICAHUK director Linda Ramsden said that the demolitions are “part of a long-term strategy that aims to inflict collective punishment on Palestinians and break their will to resist the occupation of their land.”
“It is part of the silent ethnic transfer which will make life so unbearable that Palestinians will leave their country,” Ramsden said in a letter to the Guardian newspaper.
“This strategy prevents the creation of a viable Palestinian state and ensures permanent Israeli control of the occupied territories and their resources,” she warned.
ICAHUK said the destruction of homes and the displacement of innocent Palestinian families “directly violates international law and human rights standards and treaties.”
“It is in violation of the road map to which the US and Europe claim to be so committed,” Ramsden said but asked “Who is going to call Israel to account?”