UNITED NATIONS, Dec 16 (NNN-KUNA) -- Palestinians are left with no choice but to build "illegally" in the West Bank and later face demolition of their houses because of the Israeli restrictions and failure to provide building permits, according to a UN new report.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report Tuesday covering the planning and zoning regime applied by the Israeli authorities in Area C of the West Bank, that Palestinian construction is effectively prohibited in some 70 per cent of Area C, while in the remaining 30 per cent, a range of restrictions virtually eliminate the possibility of obtaining a building permit.

In practice, the report added, the Israeli authorities generally allow Palestinian construction only within the boundaries of an Israeli-approved plan and these cover less than 1 per cent of Area C, much of which is already built up.

As a result, the report noted, Palestinians are left with no choice but to build "illegally" and risk demolition of their structures and displacement, warning that the consequences of the current policy are wide-ranging and extend to the entire Palestinian population of the West Bank.

-- NNN-KUNA