JERUSALEM, Feburary28, 2011 (WAFA) - Israeli municipality in Jerusalem handed out demolition orders to 150 Palestinians living in a 22-apartment building at Beit Hanina neighborhood, north of Jerusalem, on grounds of not having a building permits.

A lawyer representing the families appealed to the municipal court to stop the demolition order and prevent the displacement of the Palestinian families, which more than two-thirds of their members are children.

The residents said they fear for the fate of their children; particularly as the deadline set by the Israeli municipality for the families to evacuate the building is in 10 days.

The contractor of the apartment building said he obtained a license in 1996 to build 12 apartments, but he went ahead and built additional apartments, causing the municipality to cancel the building permit.

The contractor had promised the buyers to pay all fees in order to obtain a license.

Since then, the case is still pending in courts were several lawyers had taken over the case.

Dozens of Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem had received similar demolition orders over the past week all under the same pretexts.

T.R./M.A.