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Israel postpones home demolition after international pressure

February 7, 2023 at 9:48 am

A view of a demolished house in Al-Luce Village of Bethlehem in Ramallah, West Bank on November 15, 2022 [Hisham K. K. Abu Shaqra/Anadolu Agency]

The Israeli occupation authorities decided on Monday to postpone the demolition of a Palestinian building which is home to 100 families in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli media have reported. The building was scheduled by the Israelis to be demolished today.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the building was issued a demolition order in 2015. The implementation of the order has been postponed several times.

On Sunday, Israel’s extreme far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, ordered the police to prepare to demolish the building. The demolition was planned to take place with the protection of 500 Israeli security personnel.

Western diplomats said that the embassies of the United States, the United Kingdom and several other countries had contacted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office recently and expressed concern about the intention to demolish the building, explained the Jerusalem Post. The diplomats noted that they were informed on Monday morning that the postponement instructions had been issued.

READ: 100 Palestine families to be made homeless in Jerusalem under Ben-Gvir’s orders