JERUSALEM, March 15, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Tuesday demolished a motorcycle repair shop near the entrance of Qalandiya military checkpoint, north of Jerusalem.

Israeli soldiers temporarily closed the checkpoint for traffic travelling both ways before proceeding to demolish the shop.

This came as West Jerusalem Municipality crews, protected by Israeli soldiers, stormed the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ath-Thuri, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, and handed a house demolition order.

The Abu Salum family were handed an order notifying them of a demolition order of their house purportedly for being built without a construction license.

WAFA reported on Ahmad Abu Sal‘um that his family had paid tens of thousands of shekels in fines for the Israeli West Jerusalem Municipality.

Israel discriminates against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian Territories, especially Jerusalem and Area C, in all aspects of their life including housing, employment, services and education.

It rarely grants them construction permits and frequently demolishes their structures built without permits.

Although East Jerusalem’s Palestinians live within a territory that Israel has occupied, they are denied citizenship rights and are instead classified as ‘residents’ whose residency permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for over a few years. 

East Jerusalem is part of the internationally recognized Palestinian territories that have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.

K.F/M.H