The Israeli army leveled on Tuesday two Palestinian homes in al-lousa area in Silwan neighborhood, and al-Esawiyya area, east of Jerusalem.
The first home, belongs to Samer al-Mandoub, was inhibited by six family members.
A local source in al-Lousa reported that military bulldozers, supported by several military jeeps, invaded the neighborhood after surrounding it, and leveled the home.
The home was leveled under direct orders from Jerusalem municipality after claiming that it was illegally constructed.
Also on Tuesday, soldiers leveled a home in al-Esawiyya area in Jerusalem, and broke into two homes causing damage.
At least, one hundred homes are threatened after the Jerusalem municipality announced that it intends to construct a public park in the area.
May 2005, Attorney Sami Irshed, who represents the residents in Israeli courts, said that the Jerusalem municipality handed dozens of residents of al-Bustan area, in Silwan east of Jerusalem, orders of intentions to level their homes.
Al-Bustan area is inhibited by 1000 Palestinian residents, composing 200 families living in 88 residential buildings.
The Jerusalem municipality claims that these homes were constructed without obtaining the needed permits, which is one of the main excuses it uses to level Palestinian homes.
“90% of the homes which were built east Jerusalem following the 1967 war were constructed without permits because Jerusalem municipality refused to specify the construction plans and maps for this area, in order to bar the residents from applying for construction permitsâ€Â, Irshed said.
Irshed added that he along with other lawyers representing the residents in the area discovered that an Israeli ministerial committee formulated in 1977 a plan to transform the Palestinian areas surrounding Jerusalem into ’public gardens’.
“Israel will use everyway and any excuse in order to control the Palestinian areas and neighborhoods near Jerusalem and around itâ€Â, Irshed said.
Jerusalem municipality head engineer Uri Shitreet, said that the plan is called A. M 9, prepared in 1977, and aims to transform the areas which surround Jerusalem into public areas, therefore any construction in these areas is considered illegal, according to Shitreet.
Shitreet added that he issued ordered to construction engineers working at the municipality to “conduct their utmost efforts to level these homesâ€Â.
Also, Shireet stated that he intends to ignore the Israeli law which bars leveling the homes which were constructed before 1967, and the homes which were built more than seven years ago.
The plan which was prepared in 1977 intends to evacuate thousands of Jerusalemite Palestinians from several neighborhoods in Jerusalem, which raises fears that Israel does not only intend to level homes in al-Bustan area, but will also move to other neighborhoods surrounding the old city of Jerusalem.
