Israel to raze more Palestinian homes

A community center active in reporting rights violations in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) has warned of an Israeli plan to demolish more Palestinian homes after Eid al-Adha.

At least three homes have been “cleared for demolition” by Israeli officials, a statement from the center said, adding that most of the targeted buildings were in an area where an Israeli city plan would see 25 percent of the homes in the neighborhood demolished for the creation of a park, Ma’an news agency reported on Saturday.

The demolitions could begin as early as 21 November, when the Muslims’ Eid al-Adha holiday comes to an end.

According to the report, three Palestinian families have so far received demolition notices.

Reports by the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions indicate that some 20,000 homes in East al-Quds have standing demolition orders against them, while thousands of others have “stop work” orders, mandating owners to cease construction and apply for a permit to build.

Occupied in 1967, East al-Quds was illegally annexed to Israel in the 1980s, bringing more than 225,000 Palestinians under Israeli occupation, reports say.

Residents must apply to municipalities they do not recognize for permits to build homes. Those who do apply, face discrimination with a small fraction of residents being granted permits.