BRUSSELS: The EU on Thursday called on Israel to cease demolishing Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and lift a threat to demolish Palestinian schools, calling them "an impediment towards the two-state solution".
The statement, issued by the spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, came two days after Israeli bulldozers razed a Bedouin village near Tubas in the Jordan Valley, leaving its nearly 80 inhabitants homeless.
Israel's army stated the homes were "built illegally" in an area used for military training. The EU statement said that half the Palestinians made homeless in the demolition were children.
"This large-scale demolition confirms once again the regrettable trend of confiscations and demolitions since the beginning of the year," it said. It added that Israel has also threatened to raze 52 Palestinian schools, including one in Ras Al-Teen in the West Bank that was co-funded by the EU and EU member states.
"The EU calls for the protection of children, including ensuring their right to education in a safe and secure school environment," the statement said, noting that education is a basic human right.
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