SHAFAQNA- Israeli forces demolished a residential building in annexed east Jerusalem on Tuesday (10 May 2022), leaving 35 people, the majority of them children, homeless.
The demolition of the three-storey building in the neighbourhood of Silwan was carried out because the owners lacked the required permits, the authorities said.
Israel regularly razes homes built by Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank if they lack the relevant construction permits.
The catch, according to an UN study, is that such permits are “virtually impossible” to obtain, and the result is a chronic housing shortage.
“Municipality personnel came at 9:00 am, broke the doors, expelled us and didn’t let us take any belongings,” said Faris Rajabi, 35, who lived in the building.
Palestinian youths looked on in the presence of Israeli forces as heavy machinery was used to tear down the structure, an AFP photographer reported from the scene.
Source: iraqinews