What the occupation did to Palestinian homes

Israel’s policy of demolishing and destroying Palestinian homes has not been limited to the Gaza Strip; it has also affected the West Bank, specifically more than half of the refugee homes in the Jenin and Wren Shams camps in Tulkarm, in the northern West Bank.

Data published by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in a statement marking World Habitat Day and Arab Habitat Day reveals the consequences of Israel’s demolition policy since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip three years ago.

The statement described the “widespread and unprecedented destruction of buildings and housing units in Palestine,” citing a United Nations assessment as of June 15th indicating that the number of buildings damaged as a result of the aggression against the Gaza Strip reached 200,000, representing approximately 82% of the total buildings in the Strip, comprising some 328,627 housing units.

Of the total number of damaged buildings, approximately 134,422 were completely destroyed, while the number of severely damaged buildings reached approximately 13,848. Overall, most of the approximately 2.1 million residents of the Gaza Strip remain displaced, confined to less than 40% of the Strip’s area, which has led to increased overcrowding and pressure on available displacement areas.