JERUSALEM, April 16, 2016 (WAFA) – Staff from the so-called Israel’s West Jerusalem municipality Saturday notified a Palestinian family of their intentions to demolish the family‘s private-owned home in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of al-Bustan.
The owner’s wife told WAFA correspondent the notice cited unpermitted building as a pretext, noting that this is the fourth demolition notice they have received.
Meanwhile, The staff, late Friday, handed Palestinian locals two notices for the demolition of two residential and commercial structures in the said area, citing the same pretext.
According to UNOCHA, “Israel’s unilateral annexation of East Jerusalem and the surrounding West Bank hinterland contravenes international law. It is not recognized by the international community which considers East Jerusalem an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).”
The Council for European-Palestinian Relations (CEPR), “Under international law East Jerusalem is occupied territory, therefore, the Israeli practice of demolishing Palestinian houses is illegal.”
In large parts of East Jerusalem no building permits are obtainable due to the difficulty of meeting the required conditions, said CEPR.
It maintained that the cost of obtaining permits can be as much as the cost of construction of the actual building. “Consequently many Palestinian Jerusalemites choose to construct buildings without permits, providing the Ministry of Interior and the Jerusalem Municipality the judicial pretext to demolish their homes.”
T.R.