JERUSALEM, Wednesday, July 17, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli municipality staff today demolished two Palestinian structures in Jerusalem district under the pretext of unlicensed building.

WAFA correspondent said that Israeli municipality staff and police escorted a bulldozer to the entrance of Sur Baher, southeast of Jerusalem, where the heavy machinery demolished a car wash.

The owner of the demolished car wash was identified as Murad Saad.

Police also escorted bulldozer into the Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, where they demolished a commercial structure. The demolished structure belonged to a member of the Nathsheh family.

Both structures were demolished under the pretext that they were built without a permit.

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.