Demolitions in Jerusalem area, June 2022: Israeli authorities demolish 40 structures; 26 people, including 14 minors, lose homes

Throughout June 2022, on orders of the Jerusalem Municipality, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Interior and the Civil Administration, 40 structures were demolished in the parts of the West Bank annexed to Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries and in adjacent areas lying within the al-Quds District of the Palestinian Authority. The demolished structures included six inhabited homes, and their demolition left 26 people, including 14 minors, homeless. Parts of an additional home were demolished by the owner on orders of the municipality.

In addition, the authorities demolished 34 non-residential structures, 18 of which were used to support 16 families.

Demolitions:

On Wednesday, 1 June 2022, at around 4:30 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with Israel Police and Border Police officers and a bulldozer at the town of a-Za’ayem, where they demolished an agricultural shack and another structure that belonged to a family, as well as two fences on the land of other families.

That day, at around 5:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with Israel Police and Border Police officers and a bulldozer at the neighborhood of al-‘Esawiyah in East Jerusalem. The forces demolished an apartment on the second floor of a two-story building that was home to a family of four, including two minors. This is the fourth time since 2009 that B’Tselem has documented a demolition of this family’s home.

That day, at around 10:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and a bulldozer at the Abu a-Shahid Square near Qalandiya Checkpoint and demolished a grocery store, a gas station and five empty warehouses. These businesses supported 10 families.

That day, at around 11:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with Israel Police and Border Police officers and a bulldozer at the neighborhood of Sharafat in East Jerusalem and demolished two agricultural shacks.

On Thursday, 9 June 2022, at around 6:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the neighborhood of Bir ‘Onah, in the part of the town of Beit Jala annexed to Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries, and demolished a parking lot. In 2018, the Jerusalem Municipality demolished a building slated to house three families under construction above the same parking lot.

On Wednesday, 15 June 2022, at around 7:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with Israel Police and Border Police officers and a bulldozer at al-Khalayleh in al-Quds District. The forces demolished a vacation home belonging to a family of four, as well as a carwash facility and two warehouses that supported 12 people.

That day, at around 5:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the neighborhood of Zur Baher in East Jerusalem and demolished the home of a family of four, including two minors.

On Wednesday, 22 June 2022, at around 4:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and a bulldozer at the town of ‘Anata in al-Quds District. The forces demolished five structures that served two auto repair shops, which supported two families numbering 16 people in total, including 11 minors.

That day, at around 4:30 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the neighborhood of al-‘Esawiyah in East Jerusalem and demolished a stable belonging to three families.

On Sunday, 26 June 2022, a young couple were forced to demolish a room and a bathroom in their home in the neighborhood of Wadi al-Joz in East Jerusalem, following a demolition order issued by the municipality.

On Monday, 27 June 2022, at around 11:30 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and a bulldozer at the town of ‘Anata and demolished a carwash facility and two containers used for storage that supported a family of eight, including six minors. In addition, the forces demolished a breakroom with a kitchenette that served scrapyard workers.

On Tuesday, 28 June 2022, at around 3:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the town of a-Za’ayem in al-Quds District and demolished two agricultural structures belonging to one family and a fence and water container belonging to another family.

That day, at around 4:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the neighborhood of Jabal a-Mukabber in East Jerusalem. The forces demolished a container used for storage and uprooted dozens of fruit seedlings in an orchard belonging to the family. They later demolished a stable and a fence belonging to two other families.

That day, at around 4:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the town of ‘Anata in al-Quds District and demolished the homes of four families numbering 18 people in total, including 10 minors, as well as a livestock enclosure.