Israeli Forces Demolish Palestinian Shacks, Raze Land in Jerusalem

Israeli Forces Demolish Palestinian Shacks, Raze Land in Jerusalem

Israeli excavators demolish a Palestinian building in Issawiya, East Jerusalem on 15 August 2019 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli police on Tuesday demolished several Palestinian structures and razed some 14 donums of land in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawyia, a local source said.

Member of the Local Follow-up Committee Mohammad Abu al-Humms told WAFA news agency that police and staff of the Israeli Jerusalem municipality escorted bulldozers into the area, where the heavy machineries razed some 14 donums of land in the northern and southeastern part of the neighborhood.

He added that the bulldozers demolished five shacks, including two livestock shacks and a horse shack, and seized three sheep.

Some of the demolished structures belong to the Abu al-Humms and Darwish families.

Wadi Hilweh Information Center, a Silwan-based monitor, posted a video showing police confiscating three sheep that the neighborhood residents prepared for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Another video shows police and municipal staff cordoning off the area as the bulldozers proceeded with the demolition.

For the residents of Issawiya, a Palestinian village of some 20,000 people, and other parts of occupied East Jerusalem, military raids, land grab and demolitions are a daily reality.

The village is plagued by poor infrastructure and residents are constantly harassed by the Israeli Border Police.

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 favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.

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