JERUSALEM, Wednesday, July 10, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli bulldozers Wednesday demolished a cement wall in the town Hizma, to the east of the occupied city of Jerusalem, according to local sources.

Witnesses told WAFA correspondent that Israeli forces escorted bulldozers to the southern part of Hizma, where the heavy machinery demolished a cement wall purportedly for being built without a license.

During the raid, Israeli troops broke into and ransacked several civilian houses in the town.

Yesterday, Israeli forces demolished the foundations of a residential building under construction and razed a 700-square-meter of land in Az-Za‘ayyem neighborhood, east of occupied Jerusalem.

Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.

At the same time, the municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews with a goal to offset the demographic balance in favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.

They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel‘s separation wall.

K.T./ K.F.