Israel to Demolish Home of 3 Jerusalemite Prisoners

The Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem on Thursday handed a notice to the family of three Palestinian prisoners informing them that their home will be demolished, under the pretext of construction without a permit.

Um Tareq al-Issawi, the mother of Samer, Shereen and Medhat al-Issawi – three prisoners in Israeli jails, told WAFA that she has received a notice from the Israeli municipality regarding their intention to demolish their house, for being constructed without an Israeli permit.

Al-Issawi said the decision to demolish her house was prompted by the Israeli intelligence, and described it as an act of “reprisal” and a political measure against the entire family.

She said such a decision aims at “breaking the steadfastness” of her three imprisoned sons.

To be noted, Israeli authorities rarely issue construction permits to the original Palestinian inhabitants of Jerusalem, forcing many of them to embark on construction without an Israeli permit.

Over the course of 2015, Israel demolished 521 structures in Area C as well as in East Jerusalem, displacing 636 people, according to the UN monitoring group OCHA. The vast majority of these demolitions were carried out on the grounds of construction without a permit.

Between 2010 and 2014, only 1.5 percent of applications for building permits in Area C were approved by Israeli occupation authorities, OCHA adds.

Source: WAFA