Home demolitions in the Occupied Territories fall into three general categories:

1. Clearing Operations. The clearance of houses for military purposes. Often the homes are too close to Israeli ‘security infrastructure’, Jewish roads, or provide cover for Palestinian military operations. Clearing Operations have continued to be conducted in all areas of the West Bank and Gaza, although to a lesser extent in Area ‘A’, and in Gaza since the 2005 withdrawal.
2. Punitive Demolitions. Homes of families or neighbors of Palestinians caught or suspected of carrying out attacks against Israelis. This collective punishment policy was ended in 2004 after the army issued a report declaring it counter-productive in reducing terror attacks.
3. Lack of building permits. The vast majority of home demolitions fall within this category. Until the Oslo Agreements of 1993 all Palestinians in the Occupied Territories had to apply for a building permit from the Israeli ‘Civil Administration’ in order to build or expand a home. Since 1993 Palestinians living in Jerusalem and area ‘C’ continue to fall under Israeli jurisdiction. East Jerusalem Palestinians apply for permits from the Jerusalem Municipality, while those living in area ‘B’ continue to apply to the Civil Administration. Permit applications are very expensive (over $20,000) and are routinely denied.

ICAHD: The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions resists home demolitions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and when the families are willing, rebuilds the homes as an act of protest and resistance to the Israeli government's ongoing policies of demolishing Palestinian homes.

ICAHD's latest rebuilding effort, the Constructing Peace Campaign, was begun in May 2007 and has since rebuilt over 60 homes for Palestinian families.

This work needs your support