RAMALLAH, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Wednesday called on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel to stop its "violations in the Palestinian territories."
"Palestine condemns the Israeli ... expansion and colonial measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, especially its land confiscation and demolition of Palestinians' homes," the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement sent to Xinhua.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli authorities demolished three Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. They also forced a Palestinian to demolish his so-called "unlicensed" home in the town of Silwan.
In a report sent to Xinhua on Tuesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Israel had demolished 30 constructions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the past two weeks.
The demolitions resulted in the displacement of 25 people and damage to 140 others, according to the OCHA report.
"The demolition of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem aims to pressure the citizens to leave the city," said the statement of the Palestinian foreign ministry.
The ministry statement also condemned Israel for confiscating 72.3 hectares of land in the village of Kisan east of the West Bank city of Bethlehem for settlement expansion.
"The Israeli government is fully responsible for the ongoing escalation and violations against the Palestinian people and their land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem," said the Palestinian ministry. Enditem
