Israeli forces today demolished a number of Palestinian structures in several areas to the east of the occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, witnesses said.

They confirmed that Israeli forces escorted bulldozers stormed an area on Wadi al-Nar Road, close to al-Container checkpoint, where the heavy machineries a number of garages and commercial structures and the soldiers seized their content.

Meanwhile, Israeli police demolished the walls and foundations of a garage in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabbir.

The garage owner, identified as Akram Shuqeirat, told WAFA that Israeli municipality of Jerusalem tore down his car repair shop, which was built using brick and tin sheet, causing destruction to his nearby plot of land.

Israeli forces carried out another demolition, tearing down another Palestinian-owned garage in al-Eizariya town, east of Jerusalem.

Owner of the demolished structure, located on the road connecting al-Eizariya to As-Sawahira and Abu Dis towns, was identified as as Mahmoud al-Basha.

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.

According to a report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, the Israeli High Court could be liable for war crimes for their policies that led to the dispossession of Palestinians from their properties in Area C of the West Bank.

The report, Fake Justice, shows that the court’s support of Israeli planning policy is tantamount to support for dispossession and forcible transfer of Palestinians, a war crime under international law.

 

Source: Wafa News Agency