Israeli forces destroyed a home in the town of Majdal Shams – the first such demolition in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights for more than 30 years, according to the Al-Marsad human rights group based in the territory.
In an appeal to the European Union, Al-Marsad states that the Syrian owners of dozens of homes have been notified that their houses are due to be demolished on the pretext that they were built without permits.
“As a result of the severe restrictions imposed by Israeli planning committees, it is close to impossible for the native Syrian population in the remaining five Syrian villages in the occupied Syrian Golan to obtain the necessary building permits,” Al-Marsad stated.
“The Syrian population is forced to build homes without building permits, as this is the only way to meet their housing needs given unprecedented levels of overcrowding.”
