Greetings from Jerusalem. The Middle East is experiencing an intense heat wave and as the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan begins, West Bankers are preparing for a tough period.

The heat adds an additional burden to Palestinian communities coping with the multiple impacts of the occupation. July saw a sharp rise in the frequency and scale of house demolitions by Israeli forces. Several families have also been evicted from their homes to make way for Israeli settlers, especially in Jerusalem (see picture, right).

In one case, the army demolished 70 tents, making over 100 people homeless on a single day in a Bedouin village in the Jordan Valley. Soldiers later returned to demolish emergency tents donated by humanitarian agencies. Israel often demolishes Palestinian homes on the grounds that they are built “illegally,” but makes it near impossible for Palestinians to obtain permits in Area C, the 60 percent or so of the West Bank in which the Oslo Accords granted Israel full military and civil control. It is also extremely difficult for Palestinians to obtain building permits in East Jerusalem.

Since the start of the year, Israeli authorities have demolished 142 structures (49 of them residential) displacing at least 227 Palestinians, including 107 children.

The recent spike in demolitions followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington at the start of July. As a ten-month partial building freeze in Israel’s illegal settlements draws to a close, NGOs say they expect the rate of demolitions to stay high. 

American pressure on Israel to refrain from demolitions and settlement building is likely to remain slack in the run-up to November’s congressional elections. This increases the burden on global civil society to denounce demolitions and evictions of Palestinians as contrary to international law and incompatible with the Israeli professed desire for peace. We encourage you to get involved – including via our Facebook group.

EAPPI has a unique relationship with the communities we serve, offering both protection and an outlet for stories that would not otherwise be heard. Here are some of recent highlights from our website, www.eappi.org.

Closing down Hebron – The Israeli army welded shut the doors of shops in Hebron to pressure locals to halt demonstrations against previous closures. EAPPI was there.

Remote but Besieged – The Bedouin community of Um Al Khayr struggle to maintain their traditional way of life, even under occupation.

The Children of An Nu’man – also available in French

“When the soldiers don’t do anything to us at the checkpoint, it is not normal,” says Samar, a 12-year-old girl from An Nu’man.  But then, very little in this “stranded” village on the outskirts of Jerusalem is normal.