JERUSALEM, November 20, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli police and West Jerusalem municipality staff conducted on Monday measurements in six buildings in Kufr Aqab, an East Jerusalem neighborhood, in preparation to demolish them on the pretext they were built without a permit, according to a resident of these building.

Ayman Roumieh, who resides in an apartment in the targeted buildings, told WAFA that staff from the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem accompanied by an Israeli police force and explosive experts inspected the six buildings and took  measurements apparently to demolish them using explosives.

He said the Israeli municipality had notified them in September of its intention to demolish the six buildings because of their proximity to the former East Jerusalem airport runway but they did not pay too much attention to the order because the buildings are located beyond the wall Israel had built in 2004 that encircles East Jerusalem.

He said, however, that they were surprised by an Israeli Supreme Court order issued 10 days ago giving the Israeli municipality the authority to proceed with the demolition of the six buildings within one month starting the middle of this month.

The buildings have more than 130 apartments, some of them already inhabited while others are still in the construction phase.

M.N./M.K.