PALESTINIAN authorities have condemned Israel for its continued demolition of Palestinian houses and other facilities as reports showed a “significant escalation” of operations in July.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that more than 43 demolitions had taken place. They included water wells as well as dwellings, leading to to the displacement of hundreds of Palestinians. Some of the facilities had been built through European Union funding.

Information was gathered from local Israeli and foreign research centres and UN reports. The Israeli actions are in breach of agreements signed by Tel Aviv and international treaties that ban and criminalise demolitions in the occupied territories.

Building of illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied territories has advanced since the election of US President Donald Trump, whose political and financial support has emboldened Israel.

According to research by advocacy group Peace Now from data received by Israeli military authorities, just 66 building permits were issued for Palestinians between 2009 and 2016 compared with 12,763 housing units for Israeli settlers over the same period.

Plans to be approved this week include 2,400 settlement housing units to be constructed, the majority of them deep inside the West Bank. At the same time retrospective approval will be granted to four unauthorised settlement outposts.

“The approval of settlement plans is part of a disastrous government policy designed to prevent the possibility of peace and a two-state solution, and to annex part or all of the West Bank,” Peace Now said.

“The linkage of thousands of housing permits for settlers and a negligible number of housing units for Palestinians cannot hide the government’s discrimination policy.”

Israelis will go to the polls for the second time this year on September 17. Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party failed to gain a majority in May’s general election and was unable to form a coalition.