JERUSALEM, December 19, 2016 (WAFA) – Bulldozers of the Israeli West Jerusalem municipality Monday demolished a car dealership and showroom in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem citing construction without a permit as a pretext.
The dealership‘s owner, the Harhash family, said they did not received a prior notice of the demolition.
Israel rarely issues construction permits for Palestinians in East Jerusalem forcing many to build without a permit.
A United Nations agency had said that Israeli planning policies in East Jerusalem discriminate against Palestinians, “making it extremely difficult for them to obtain building permits.”
“As a result, many Palestinians build without permits to meet their housing needs and risk having their structures demolished. Palestinians must have the opportunity to participate in a fair and equitable planning system that ensures their needs are met,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) to the occupied Palestinian territories had said.
T.R./M.K.
