BETHLEHEM, December 16, 2015 (WAFA) –
Israeli authorities Wednesday notified to demolish three two-storey
homes belonging to local Palestinians in the village of al-Khader,
south of Bethlehem, according to local sources.
Ibrahim Salem, one of the owners, told
WAFA that an Israeli army force stormed the village and broke into his
house after smashing the front doors and while no one was present
inside, where they left the demolition orders. The property is a home for a
family of six members.
Army officers informed Salem that his
house, along with two other homes belonging to locals Alaa Salem and
Nour Salah, will be demolished, under the pretext that they were built
without an Israeli-issued building permit.
Salem said that Israeli army gave them a
period of 25 days to appeal the decision at
the Israeli supreme court.
Issuance of construction permits for
Palestinians living in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli
administrative and military control, is strictly limited, forcing those living
in this area to embark on construction without obtaining a permit.
According to the United Nations Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between December 30, 2014
and January 12, 2015, the Israeli authorities demolished 27 Palestinian
structures in Area C of the West Bank and five in East Jerusalem, in addition
to two self demolition incidents, due to lack of Israeli-issued building
permits.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics (PCBS) affirmed that the Israeli authorities do not only demolish
Palestinian homes, but also hinder the issuance of any building licenses for
Palestinians in Jerusalem and its boundaries.
M.N/T.R
