JERUSALEM, October 6, 2026 (WAFA) – Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Minister of National Security in the Israeli occupation government, participated this Tuesday morning in a raid on the town of Al-Tur, east of occupied Jerusalem. This coincided with the demolition by occupation forces of a five-story residential building—comprising 10 apartments and housing approximately 70 residents, mostly women and children.
The Jerusalem Governorate stated that Ben-Gvir’s participation in the demolition operation constitutes official incitement against Jerusalemites and their presence, as well as an exploitation of the Jerusalem issue for Israeli electioneering at the expense of Palestinian rights and the sanctity of civilian homes.
It asserted that turning the demolition of Palestinian homes into election spectacles and displays of force does not alter the reality that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory. The Governorate viewed the use of such policies in Israeli political competition as reflecting an escalation in the targeting of the Palestinian presence in the city.
The Governorate added that the building's demolition falls within the context of the policy of home demolitions and forced displacement targeting the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem. It noted that, according to their own data, occupation authorities are implementing systematic measures to impose new demographic and urban realities on the city.
It emphasized that pretexts regarding licensing and zoning regulations do not provide the occupation with legal cover to demolish homes and displace residents—particularly given what it described as the denial of Jerusalemites' rights to planning and construction, and the refusal to grant them building permits, all while settlement expansion continues. It noted that the building's residents had engaged in a years-long legal battle to challenge demolition orders and incurred financial penalties and fines, only to receive a final demolition notice just one day before the demolition was carried out.
The Jerusalem Governorate emphasized that East Jerusalem is part of the occupied Palestinian territory and maintained that the occupation's measures—including home demolitions, the displacement of residents, the seizure of property, and attempts to alter the city's character and demographic composition—do not establish any legal right.
It called upon the international community to take political and legal action to halt demolitions, evictions, and displacement; to hold the occupation authorities accountable for violations; and to provide protection for Palestinians. It further demanded that Israel, as the occupying power, respect international law, international humanitarian law, and relevant international resolutions.
The Governorate stated that occupation authorities had carried out 427 demolition and leveling operations in the Jerusalem Governorate between the beginning of the year and the end of September 2026, noting that these figures reflect the expanding scope of the demolition policy within the city.
K.T
