Israeli municipal staff today handed demolition orders against 30 Palestinian houses in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya under the pretext of construction without a permit, said a local activist.
Muhammad Abu al-Hummus, member of the local follow-up committee, said that staff of the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem delivered orders to demolish 30 Palestinian structures and houses in the neighborhood.
The municipality staff, Abu al-Hummus added, took photos for the structures slated for demolition, some of which are under construction and others already occupied.
For the residents of Issawiya, a Palestinian village of some 20,000 people, and other parts of occupied East Jerusalem, military raids, land grab and demolitions are a daily reality.
The village is plagued by poor infrastructure, residents are constantly harassed by the Israeli Border Police and anyone, including children, runs the risk of arbitrary arrest.
Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.
At the same time, the municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews with a goal to offset the demographic balance in favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.
Source: WAFA
