The Jerusalem municipality has, on Monday, demolished Palestinian-owned house located in the Wadi Al Jouz area in the eastern suburb of Jerusalem city.
The house was constructed 30 years ago, and is owned by Aishah Arraameen, 56. She received a demolition order over three years ago, and, after hiring a lawyer, the order was canceled.
Aishah’s son, Sa’ddi, told IMEMC that, three years ago the Israeli municipality had filed the demolition order under a false name, hence the annulment of the order. One month later, he added, the Israeli authorities issued a new order, bearing the family name.
The family fearing being made to pay the costs of demolition, and so removed the roof top of the house themselves. Aishah moved to live with her son in Hebron city, in the southern West Bank.
This morning, soldiers arrived at around nine in the morning, blocked the area and demolished the rest of the house. The municipality also issued an order forcing the family to pay for the cost of the demolition, Sa’ddi told IMEMC.
Before the army withdrew, they also demolished the foundation of a house located near the Arraameen home. Witnesses said that this house is owned by Hanni Toutah, another resident of Wadi Al Jouz area.
Toutah’s house was demolished twice during the year 2007. He then donated the land to a local NGO that deals with children with special needs. The NGO was building the house to accommodate the children, local residents told IMEMC.
Since 1967, when Israeli occupied the city of Jerusalem, house building permits are rarely given to Palestinians of Jerusalem by the Israeli army.
