United Nations Radio

The UN special envoy to the Middle East peace process Robert Serry(photo) has expressed alarm at Israel's resumption of house demolitions in the West Bank, after a freeze dating back to April this year.

Serry's remarks follow Wednesday's demolition of a number of makeshift homes belonging to Palestinian families south of the West Bank town of Hebron.

Serry says the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs -OCHA was "directly raising the UN's humanitarian concerns with the Israeli authorities, given the impact of these actions on some of the most vulnerable populations in the West Bank, wit many poor families rendered destitute."

Serry says "the actions are also a political step back from the commitments Israel has made and send a discouraging signal regarding its support for the strenuous and concerted efforts underway to improve conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory and build grater trust and confidence in support of the political process."

The special coordinator "calls on Israel to adhere to its commitments by reinstituting a moratorium on house demolitions and protecting vulnerable civilians from displacement and loss of livelihoods.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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