JERUSALEM, March 5, 2025 (WAFA) – The Israeli human rights organization Ir Amim said that the Israeli occupation authorities demolished homes in East Jerusalem during the first week of the holy month of Ramadan, “a month during which Israel had previously refrained from carrying out demolitions due to its religious sensitivity.”
Over the past week, the occupation demolished four buildings, a residential home in the town of Beit Hanina and three apartments in the town of Issawiya. The demolitions included the destruction of a residential apartment that housed farmers, in addition to agricultural facilities, fences and doors. This caused six families to lose their livelihood, and the initial economic damage is estimated at more than two million dollars.
According to Ir Amim data, 2024 witnessed a 14% increase in home demolitions in East Jerusalem compared to 2023. Since the beginning of 2025, 46 buildings have already been demolished – and indications are that this phenomenon is on the rise.
“For the first time, Israel is violating a long-standing tradition and carrying out demolitions during the month of Ramadan, a holy month for millions of Muslims around the world,” said Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at the organization. “This is a dangerous precedent that deepens the suffering of East Jerusalem residents, who are forced to build without permits due to Israel’s discriminatory planning policy.”
He added, “Instead of harsh demolitions, it is time to develop master plans that allow Palestinians to obtain legal building permits.
The occupation authorities pursue a policy of demolishing Palestinian homes in occupied Jerusalem, as part of punitive measures aimed at forcible displacement, ethnic cleansing, and Judaizing the city. These measures are justified with flimsy pretexts, such as building without permits, despite the occupation’s strict restrictions that make obtaining permits almost impossible.
During the month of February, the Jerusalem Governorate monitored (31) demolition and bulldozing operations, including (6) forced self-demolition operations, where Palestinians were forced to demolish their homes to avoid paying heavy fines, (18) demolition operations using military vehicles, and (7) bulldozing operations targeting lands and streets.
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