Some 30,000 homes in occupied East Jerusalem are threatened with demolition, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, head of the Supreme Islamic Council and Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, revealed.
Two to three homes have been demolished everyday this year, he went on to say.
Also read:
- Israel to allow settler takeover of Palestinian homes
- Call for Airbnb to stop listing properties in illegal settlements
- Israel demolishes mosque in Negev Desert village
- Israel planning fresh settlements in West Bank’s E1
- Israel razes EU-built West Bank humanitarian buildings, announces land grab
- Settlers seize a house near Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron
In an exclusive statement to the Palestinian Information Centre on Wednesday, Sabri said that the worse issue Jerusalem is suffering is the campaign of daily home demolitions. He also noted that the occupation demolished five homes in the past two days, “in addition to the continued arrest of the city’s youth and prohibiting the families of those released to welcome their released family members, as was the case with the released detainee, Rasheed Al-Rishq.”
Sabri explained that the demolitions taking place in Jerusalem are carried out in two contexts, “first, systematic demolitions which occur under the pretext of a lack of permit. Due to this, 30,000 homes are threatened to be demolished. The second context is the demolition of the homes of martyrs as part of the collective punishment policy.”
He said 54 homes have been demolished since the beginning of the year and added that the demolition campaign is ongoing.