Palestinians protest against Israeli demolition policy

Residents of Al-Issawiya in occupied Jerusalem organised a rally on Wednesday in protest against the Israeli demolition of the Palestinian homes in the district, Safa news agency has reported.

“The rally was organised outside one of the houses which has a demolition order,” explained Mohammad Abul Hommos, a member of the local Follow-up Committee. He noted that the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem handed over six demolition orders on Tuesday under the pretext of their owners building them without permits.

One of the buildings belongs to Mahmoud Eliyan, who built three apartments nine months ago. Fourteen people will be made homeless when the building is demolished.

READ: Israel to demolish 10 Palestine homes in Jerusalem 

The 20,000 Palestinians who live in Al-Issawiya are sometimes obliged to build new homes or extend existing buildings to accommodate growing families, but the Israel occupation authorities rarely, if ever, grant permits for them to do so. Illegal Jewish settlements in Jerusalem and the other occupied Palestinian territories are not only given the go ahead but also get government support.

Israel’s policy of demolishing Palestinian-owned homes is seen by critics as one way to force the indigenous population to leave the towns, cities and districts of their birth, as part of the occupation state’s Judaisation plan.