A resounding collective voice rose from 10 European nations as they urgently appealed to Israel, imploring an immediate cessation of home demolitions and confiscation of Palestinian properties in the occupied West Bank.
The call came in a joint statement issued by the consulates general of Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland and the Office of the European Union Representative to the West Bank and Gaza.
The statement read, "Israel, as the occupying power, has to halt all confiscations and demolitions and give unimpeded access to humanitarian organizations in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem."
It also urged Tel Aviv to "return or compensate for all humanitarian items funded by the consortium of donors" in connection with Israel’s demolition of buildings funded by the EU since 2015, estimated at 1,291,000 euros ($1,385,300).
The 10 countries "strongly condemned the recent demolition of the donor-funded school in Jubbet Adh Dhib” and expressed "grave concern about the threatened demolition of another 57 schools in the West Bank."
Israel widely uses the pretext of a lack of construction permits to demolish Palestinian homes under Israeli army control, especially in Area C.
Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions – Area A, B, and C.
