TULKARM, Tuesday, March 31, 2020 (WAFA) – Israeli forces demolished today a Palestinian-owned house that was still in the construction stage in the northern West Bank village of Jbara, south of Tulkarm, according to the head of Jbara village council Ihsan Tahsin.

He told WAFA that he was surprised to see a large army force break into the village early this morning with two bulldozers, close all entrances to the village, cordon off the area and proceed to demolish the one-floor house.

He said the house owner had received a demolition notice from the Israeli military on the ground it was built without a permit.

The village head said the army had demolished three other houses in the same area last year and seized three caravans, while several other houses are under threat of demolition under the pretext of construction without permit.

He said that even if Palestinians seek to get a permit, Israel will not grant them one because it wants to empty the land of its residents in order to take it over and expand the illegal settlements in that area.

T.R./M.K.