Israel demolishes mosque in West Bank

Israeli army forces on Tuesday demolished a mosque in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian authorities.

Israeli forces cited lack of construction permit for razing the mosque in al-Ramadin community near Qalqilya city, the Waqf Ministry said in a statement.

Palestinian Waqf Minister Hatem al-Bakri termed the mosque demolition as a "crime" and an "affront on the sentiments of Muslims."

Israel widely uses the pretext of lack of construction permits to demolish Palestinian structures, especially in Area C in the occupied West Bank, which constitutes around 60% of its space.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions -- Area A, B, and C.

Israel prevents Palestinians from carrying out construction projects in parts of the West Bank designated as Area C, which falls under Israel's administrative and security control.

Area C is currently home to 300,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are Bedouins and herding communities who predominantly live in tents, caravans, and caves.