Sick, elderly woman homeless as Israel demolishes her home

Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished a Palestinian house yesterday leaving its ailing resident homeless.

Basma Al-Rajabi, whose medical condition leaves her able to breathe only while using an oxygen canister, and her husband were forced from their home in Beit Hanina, East Jerusalem after occupation forces demolished their home under the pretext that it was built without the necessary building permits. Twelve members of the Al-Rajabi family were left homeless as a result.

Palestinian Basma Al-Rajabi with her oxygen tube and her husband Muhammed Al-Rajabi are seen at their building’s wreckage after Israeli forces demolished their house with the claim of being unlicensed in Beit Hanina town of Old City, East Jerusalem on 6 November, 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Wreckage of a building belonging to Palestinian Basma Al-Rajabi her husband Muhammed Al-Rajabi is seen after Israeli forces demolished their house with the claim of being unlicensed in Beit Hanina town of Old City, East Jerusalem on 6 November, 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Palestinian Basma Al-Rajabi with her oxygen tube and her husband Muhammed Al-Rajabi are seen at their building’s wreckage after Israeli forces demolished their house with the claim of being unlicensed in Beit Hanina town of Old City, East Jerusalem on 6 November, 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Wreckage of a building belonging to Palestinian Basma Al-Rajabi her husband Muhammed Al-Rajabi is seen after Israeli forces demolished their house with the claim of being unlicensed in Beit Hanina town of Old City, East Jerusalem on 6 November, 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Basma was taken to hospital for treatment after breaking down at the site of the demolition.

In occupied Silwan, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian-owned commercial structure and assaulted its owners as they tried to get in their way.

READ: International silence regarding demolition of Palestinian homes ‘war crime’

Twelve Palestinians also found themselves homeless in the Shuafat refugee camp this morning as Israeli occupation forces demolished a four floor residential building made up of 12 flats owned by the Jaradat family. Ma’an reported that the structure cost the owner some three million shekels to build ($711,000).

The Israeli issued building permits are near impossible for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem to obtain.

Since the beginning of 2018, UN OCHA reported 359 Palestinian structures have been demolished by the occupation forces in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, causing the displacement of 381 Palestinians.

READ: Israel illegal settlement construction more than doubled in 2018