JERUSALEM, August 15, 2017 (WAFA) – Bulldozers of the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem Tuesday demolished a two-story building in the neighborhood of al-Isawiya, in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The building, which belongs to Abdulla Hamdan, a Palestinian from al-Issawiya, was demolished under the pretext that it was built without an Israeli permit.

WAFA correspondent in Jerusalem said that the building was constructed 10 years go and contained department and stores.

He said that Israeli police cordoned off the targeted area and provided protection for the bulldozers as they proceeded to demolish the building.

Mohammad Abu Homs, member of Follow-Up Committee in al-Isawiya, told WAFA that almost 500 Israeli policemen raided the neighborhood at 4:00 AM and prevented worshippers from accessing a local mosque as they evicted the building in order for demolishing it.

The Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem rarely issues construction permits to Palestinians, forcing many of them to embark on construction without obtaining a permit.

Palestinians say they are forced to build without a permit because getting a building permit is virtually impossible as the right-wing mayor attempts to keep the city’s Palestinian population at a bare minimum while multiplying its Jewish residents by approving the construction of thousands of new housing units in Jewish-only settlements.

K.T/M.N