New York, Sept. 10 (Petra) The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday warned of an increase in demolitions of Palestinian homes and property by Israeli occupation authorities in the Masafer Yatta area of the southern West Bank in recent days.

Farhan Haq, U.N. deputy spokesperson, said at the daily press briefing that Israeli authorities on Tuesday demolished 20 homes and other structures, including a water tank and solar panels, in two Palestinian herding communities in the area.

Haq said the demolition of a third community on Wednesday displaced nearly 60 people, half of them children, and affected another 30 people who remain in the area for the current season. He noted that much of the destroyed property had been built with donor support.

About 1,200 Palestinians live in 13 communities in Masafer Yatta, all of which are facing pressure to leave the area designated by Israeli authorities as a "firing zone." OCHA said the pressure has increased as settler violence against these communities has escalated following the establishment of settlement outposts in the area in recent years.

Across the West Bank, 1,500 Palestinians have been displaced this year as a result of demolitions, while more than 2,600 have been displaced due to settler violence and related restrictions, the office said.

//Petra// AF