Israeli soldiers fired dozens of tear gas canisters at a group of students and other civilians protesting an Israeli demolition order on Monday.The protest was not organized in advance, but broke out spontaneously in the Abu Dis neighborhood of East Jerusalem when Israeli Civil Administration officers, accompanied by armed Israeli troops, entered the neighborhood to issue a demolition order.
The demolition order issued by the Israeli officials ordered the destruction of a building owned by Ibrahim Abu Sneina. Earlier on Monday, the officials issued a demolition order to the owner of a building in Beit Hanina which is home to twenty people.
Students from Al Quds University joined the local residents in protesting the order to demolish their homes. Israeli troops responded by firing multiple rounds of tear gas in rapid succession.
One female student fell and injured her face while running from the tear gas. No other injuries were reported.
Israeli officials claimed that the building was constructed without a permit. Since 1967, Israeli officials have mostly refused to issue Palestinian homeowners permits to construct or expand any homes or other buildings.
In Jerusalem, the Israeli government has developed a plan to displace tens of thousands of residents through demolition of existing homes, known as the ‘Jerusalem E1’ plan. Over 30% of the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem are at risk of displacement under this plan.
