Israel issues demolition orders to Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Issawiya

Israeli occupation forces yesterday delivered demolition notices to several houses inhabited by Palestinians in the Issawiya neighbourhood, located in occupied East Jerusalem, reported Wafa news agency.

According to Mohammed Abu Al-Hummus, a local activist, Israeli occupation forces stormed the neighbourhood during the early hours of the day and handed demolition notices under the pretext that the buildings lack the necessary building licenses.

Palestinians are rarely granted building permits by Israeli occupation authorities, especially in occupied East Jerusalem.

Last month it was reported that the number of building permits Israel has granted Palestinians in the occupied territories decreased by 45 per cent in the second quarter of 2020.

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The building permits are charged at extortionate prices and are unaffordable for most Palestinians, creating a legal loophole for Israel to annex more land and to leave Palestinians in limbo by preventing them from developing infrastructure.

Abu Al-Hummus told Wafa that Israeli occupation soldiers were located on the rooftop of several houses and took pictures of the buildings in the neighbourhood, which is usually a prelude to demolishing them.

Israel’s widely practiced policy of home demolitions targeting entire families are acts of illegal collective punishment and come in direct violation of International Human Rights Law.