West Jerusalem municipality bulldozers demolishing mobile homes in Jabal al-Mukabber neighborhood of East Jerusalem. 

JERUSALEM, April 18, 2017 (WAFA) – Bulldozers of the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem Tuesday demolished two mobile homes in Jabal al-Mukkaber, an Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, claiming they were built without permit, local sources said.

Israeli police sealed off the area as bulldozers proceeded to demolish the two mobile homes that housed 17 members from the families of Mohammad  Shuqairat and Ammar Hadidoun.

Sources close to the two families said the demolition took place without any prior notice.

Hadidoun’s mobile home was 40 square meters in area, where a family of 7 members, including five children, had lived. It was built in 2011 after the Hadidoun’s house was demolished in 2009 for the same reason.

The Shuqairat mobile home was constructed on the owner’s land a year after his house was demolished.

Palestinians say they are forced to build in East Jerusalem without a permit because getting a building permit is virtually impossible as the right-wing mayor attempts to keep the city’s Palestinian population at a bare minimum while multiplying its Jewish residents by approving the construction of thousands of new housing units in Jewish-only settlements while denying building permits to Palestinians.

K.T./M.K.