Israeli police, Thursday, demolished two Palestinian-owned homes in Ein el-Lawza neighborhood in Jerusalem, citing construction without a permit as a pretext, according to local sources.An Israeli police contingent accompanied by bulldozers broke into and cordoned off Ein el-Lawza neighborhood in the early morning, before they proceeded to demolish the two buildings.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities demolished a house and a building under construction in the Silwan neighborhood of Jerusalem. The two structures belong to Abu Diab family from Jerusalem.
Nadia Abu Diab, wife of the owner, told WAFA that Israeli policemen, accompanied by heavy machinery, stormed the area and proceeded to demolish the house, even though the family was in the process of applying for a permit. The house has an area of 120 square meters.
Issuance of construction permits by Israeli authorities for Palestinians in Jerusalem, unlike for Jewish settlers, requires unreasonable fees that most families cannot afford to pay.
The Israeli Committee against House Demolitions (ICAHD) explains in a special report “in almost all cases Palestinians have no choice but to build ‘illegally’, as permits are almost impossible to obtain.”
“Many Palestinians have suffered multiple displacements, having lost their homes and livelihoods more than once. Forced displacement has a series of immediate and longer-term physical, socio-economic and psycho-social impacts on Palestinian families.”
It added, “It deprives them of their home and land – often their main asset – and frequently results in disruption to livelihoods, a reduced standard of living and ed access to basic services. The impact on children can be particularly devastating,” said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
