Israeli police demolished this week a Palestinian- owned house and a shack in the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Jabal al-Mukaber and al-Issawiya, according to  local  sources.

Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted local sources as stating that Israeli police escorted a bulldozer into Jabal al-Mukaber, where the heavy machinery demolished a house belonging to the Zaatara family.

At the same time, Israeli police raided al-Issawiya, and cordoned off a residential  shack  belonging to the Abu  Tayr family before a bulldozer tore it down, reducing it to rubble,

Both structures were demolished purportedly for lacking rarely-issued Israeli building permits.

Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.

At the same time, the municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews with a goal to offset the demographic balance in the occupied city.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.

They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel's separation wall.