JERUSALEM, September 20, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli police Sunday demolished five Palestinian-owned stores in the town of Hezma, just northeast of Jerusalem, according to local sources.

An Israeli army force broke into the town in the morning and demolished five tinplate-surfaced stores, including a stone-cutting workshop, under the pretext of construction without a permit.

The stores are located in Area C, under complete Israeli military and administrative control.

The Israeli army and police have repeatedly vandalized residencies in Area C under the pretext of construction without permission.

Despite filing applications and constantly trying to build houses following the legal measures, Palestinians in the West Bank, especially East Jerusalem, are rarely granted construction permits by Israeli occupation authorities.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem are living in a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been under Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied citizenship and classified only as 'residents' whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city.

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

In 2014 alone, Israeli authorities demolished a total of 97 buildings in East Jerusalem, while demolished five others in 2015, under the pretext of building without a construction permit, reported the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian (OCHA).

M.N/M.H