Israel demolish more Palestinian homes in Jerusalem

The ongoing ethnic-cleansing of Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, October 29, 2019 (WAFA) — An Israeli bulldozer today demolished a Palestinian-owned house in the Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Suwwana, according to local sources.

The sources confirmed that Israeli police escorted the bulldozer to al-Suwwana, where the heavy machinery demolished a one-floor house under the pretext of unlicensed construction. The owner of the demolished house was identified as Khaled al-Fahham.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian was forced to tear down his house citing the same pretext in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya.

The house owner, Louai Fahmi Obeid, he was forced to demolish his own house under construction, and therefore, spare paying exorbitant amounts in costs if the Israeli municipality crew carries out the demolition.

Palestinian appeals to demolition orders are frequently dismissed by Israeli courts, which are in fact complicit in perpetuating the Israeli policies of forcible transfer and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

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.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as “residents” whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.

They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel’s separation wall.