A rights group says Israeli authorities have demolished at least 140 Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem this year, the highest annual number since it began keeping records in 2004.
The demolition of homes built without permits comes amid a major increase in Israeli settlement activity both in East Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank since President United States President Donald Trump took office.
House demolitions in Hebron and Jerusalem leave 14 Palestinians homelesshttps://t.co/ZPZMngG4Ir
— Days of Palestine (@DaysofPalestine) October 9, 2019
B’Tselem says 238 Palestinians have lost their homes this year, including 127 minors. The second-highest number of demolitions on record was in 2016 when 92 homes were demolished.
It said commercial structures are also being demolished at the highest rate on record, with 76 dismantled so far this year, compared to 70 in all of 2018.
Israeli officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Dangerous precedent: East Jerusalem neighbourhood faces mass house demolitions https://t.co/PwVjFBCQN4 via @MiddleEastEye
— لينة (@LinahAlsaafin) July 20, 2019
Israel has occupied the West Bank illegally since 1967, committing various crimes against Palestinian civilians.
More than 600,000 Israeli Jews live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in constructions considered illegal under international law.
(Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, PC, Social Media)
