Palestinian Children's Playground Partially Demolished by Israeli Forces

24 February 2008

by Saed Bannoura

On Friday, February 22, the Israeli military demolished half of a playground built for the children of Jayyous and Azzoun villages by USAID and YMCA funds.

The 'little oasis of hope' playground

The military announced that it has orders to demolish the other half of the playground on March 15th. The children's playground was constructed by two international organizations, the YMCA and USAID, in 2006, to bring some joy to the children of two villages whose land is being confiscated for the Israeli Annexation Wall.Israeli authorities claim that the playground was built without permits, but Israel has refused to issue building permits for any construction on Palestinian land in what is called 'Area C' (aside from illegal Israeli settlements) since 1967.The playground is the only one of its kind in the region, providing swings, slides and play structures for the children to enjoy. It was built on private Palestinian land, which was donated by the owner for the purpose. Families in the area have called it "an oasis of hope in a sea of hopelessness". The equipment is all new, and children have had a wonderful time playing there, in the midst of the desperation they are facing in the rest of their lives. As many families are dependent on farming, and the Israeli Wall has cut them off from their lands, many are suffering from severe poverty and deprivation over the last two years, as Wall construction in the area nears completion.An Israeli lawyer is currently working on getting an injunction to prevent further demolition, but delays in the Israeli legal system make it unlikely that he will manage to get an order to prevent the demolition scheduled for March 15th.