Israel bulldozers demolish three Palestinian business structures

Israeli municipal authorities ordered the demolition of a Palestinian grocery store, bakery and carwash in the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jabal Al-Mukabbir.

According to Wafa news agency the commercial buildings were targeted because occupation forces say they were built without the necessary permits.

Palestinian and Israeli rights groups say the Israeli demolition policy aims to limit the presence of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem.

Iyaad Jaafreh, the grocery store owner, was also notified of occupation authorities’ intention to take over a three dunum (0.74 acres) plot of land belonging to his family due to public interest.

Israeli authorities regularly carry out demolitions of Palestinian-owned homes and businesses in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, under the pretext that they are built without permits.

At least one-third of all Palestinian homes in Jerusalem lack building permits, placing some 100,000 Palestinians at risk of forced displacement. In 2014 Israel issued only one such permit to Palestinians and none the following year.

According to the Palestinian National Information Centre, Israel has forced Palestinians living in East Jerusalem to demolish more than 1,900 homes since it occupied the city in 1967.

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