JERUSALEM, Wednesday, January 02, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli bulldozers Wednesday demolished a Palestinian-owned house in al-Matar neighborhood, north of Jerusalem, according to local sources.

WAFA correspondent said that Israeli military police cordoned off the area as bulldozers proceeded to demolish the house near the illegal Israeli settlement of Atrot.

The house, which belongs to al-Mughraby family, was demolished purportedly for being built without a rarely-issued Israeli permit.

Al-Matar, one of the eastern neighborhoods of Qalandia town, was left outside the barrier, in a section between Qalandia and East Jerusalem.

Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.

At the same time, the municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews with a goal to offset the demographic balance in favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.

They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel‘s separation wall.

K.T./ K.F.