UNITED NATIONS, October 15 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – A new UN report has accused Israel of severe human rights violations against Palestinians, including "wanton" destruction of infrastructure, while an Israeli official report warned Tel Aviv was risking to become a pariah state.

"(Israeli) Bulldozers have destroyed homes in a purposeless manner and have savagely dug up roads, including electricity, sewage and water lines," said UN special rapporteur John Dugard in his annual report on the human right situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The report, obtained by the Associated Press Friday, October 15, specifically lambasted the Israeli houses demolition policy in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

It estimated that at least "1,497 buildings have been demolished in Rafah, affecting over 15,000 people."

The UN report added: "Some of the destruction was for operational reasons. Often, however, the destruction is wanton."

In May, the Israeli occupation army flattened more than a hundred Palestinian houses in a two-day demolition spree in Rafah, driving over 1,000 Palestinians homeless.

"On entering the camp this morning, we found 88 buildings demolished which had housed 206 families. It affects 1,064 people," said UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spokesman Paul McCann on May 15.

At least 42 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli onslaught on Rafah camp, including killing at least 22 people who were protesting against the devastating raid on Rafah.

Sharon’s Plan

In his report, Dugard also lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's withdrawal plan from Gaza Strip.

"Israel's disengagement plan is designed to allow Israel to say that its occupation of Gaza is over, and it is no longer bound by terms of the Fourth Geneva Convention governing occupied territories - but since Israel would retain control of border crossings and air space, it remains an occupier."

The disengagement plan had already been rejected by Likud members in a party referendum back in May but Sharon has ploughed ahead with his plan regardless.

US President George W. Bush enthusiastically endorsed the disengagement plan, saying it was “unrealistic” for all Israelis to be withdrawn from the larger West Bank settlements.

Separation Wall

The UN report, meanwhile, said the Israeli separation wall only aims at incorporating Jewish settlements constructed on Palestinian territories into Israel and confiscate more Palestinian lands.

"The wall is responsible for much of the suffering of the Palestinian people," Dugard wrote in his annual report.

He scolded the Israeli government for spurning the ruling of the International Court of Justice to tear down the barrier, urging the ICJ to take action against Israel.

"This is no time for appeasement on the part of the international community."

The ICJ, the United Nation's highest legal body, ruled on July 9 that the 700-kilometer (435-mile) separation wall violated international law.

The verdict stipulated that those sections of the barrier constructed on occupied Palestinian territories should be torn down and Israel should compensate Palestinians for the damages caused.

In his last year report, Dugard dismissed the separation wall as illegal annexation of Palestinian territory.

Israel, which vowed to ignore the verdict, claims the barrier is essential for security reasons.

The Palestinians maintain that the wall is nothing but an Israeli attempt to pre-empt the borders of their future state.

More than 200,000 Palestinians are already suffering the humanitarian consequences of the wall, according to the United Nations.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that with the completion of the wall, 30 percent of the West Bank population, or some 680,000 people, will be “directly harmed.”

Pariah State

The UN annual report coincided with a leaked report by the Israeli foreign ministry warning that Israel could become a pariah state and face international isolation if the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not resolved.

The confidential report also warned that Israel could be "on a collision course with the European Union."

"Such a collision course holds the risk of Israel losing international legitimacy and could lead to its isolation in the manner of South Africa."

The European Union and Israel have been at odds on the peacemaking as Israel claims the Europeans side with the Palestinian.

Sharon threatened in July to freeze the European role in the peace process after all EU states backed a UN General Assembly resolution demanding Israel to tear down the separation wall.