Israel Demolishes Palestinian Home in East Jerusalem

The demolition took place without any prior warning...

Ma'an News Agency

(JERUSALEM Ma'an) - Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabbir on Monday, the owner told Ma'an.

Israeli military and police officers blockaded the al-Jisr neighbor early Monday to allow bulldozers to move in and destroy the apartment building, owner Muhammad Hasan Mousa Jaafira said.

The building was constructed 18 years ago and Jaafira said he has been "trying in vain" to obtain a construction license from Israel's Jerusalem municipality.

The demolition took place without any prior warning, although in the past he was forced to pay a fine of 30,000 shekels ($8,516) for unlicensed construction.

Israel destroyed more than 663 Palestinian properties in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2013, displacing 1,101 people, according to UNOCHA.

Israel rarely grants Palestinians permits to build in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It has demolished at least 27,000 Palestinian homes and structures since occupying the West Bank in 1967, according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.

Source: Ma'an News

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=672232