The Israeli army has alarmingly intensified its policy of demolishing houses and leveling land during the al-Aqsa intifada which broke out in September 2000. Hundreds of houses have been demolished, rendering hundreds of families homeless. In the Gaza strip, Rafah refugee camp along the Israeli controlled border to Egypt has been particularly hard hit. Whole neighbourhoods have been demolished by Israeli bulldozers, often without previous warning to allow residents to save some of their properties from destruction. Palestinians living close to settlements have suffered the same fate. Many houses have been destroyed and large areas of agricultural land have been leveled or expropriated in order for the Israel to create buffer zones or build bypass roads allowing the settlers – living illegally in the area – to travel freely between the settlements and Israel.

Rafah refugee camp has been particular hard hit by house demolitions

                                                                                              Photo: PCHR fieldworker

Along with the massive destruction of private houses and fields, a large number of Palestinian National Authority (PNA) buildings and offices have been totally or partially demolished in attacks by F16 fighters and Apache helicopters. PNA security facilities have been targets of such military action; only one police station in Gaza City remains partly useable.