5,000 Palestinian homes demolished by Israel in Jerusalem since 1967

Israeli occupation authorities have demolished some 5,000 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem since 1967, according to a new report by the Land Research Centre (LRC).

According to the report, Israeli officials in the Jerusalem municipality have intentionally made legal Palestinian construction almost impossible.

For example, only 12 per cent of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem can be used for urban development, of which just seven per cent is zoned for residential housing.

There are currently an estimated 20,000 housing units build without permits in East Jerusalem.

The LRC report also takes a historical perspective, noting how Israeli forces demolished 39 villages around Jerusalem in 1948, displacing about 198,000 Palestinian residents.

Read: Israel continues Judaizing Jerusalem and Hebron, provides grants for settlement outpost

Subsequently, some 16,000 Jews were housed in homes and dwellings whose Palestinian owners were expelled between September 1948 and August 1949.

In 1967, meanwhile, around 70,000 Jerusalemites were displaced, including those outside the city at the time and prevented from returning.

The report also states that Israel demolished 1,706 homes between 2000 and 2017, displacing 9,422 Palestinians, including 5,443 children.

Read more: An urgent Palestinian rescue plan is needed