Demolitions in the Jerusalem area, February 2023: Israeli authorities demolish 46 structures; 65 Palestinians, including 33 minors, lose their homes

On Jerusalem Municipality, Ministry of Interior and Civil Administration orders, 46 structures belonging to Palestinians were demolished throughout February 2023 in East Jerusalem and in adjacent areas lying within the al-Quds District of the Palestinian Authority.

Eighteen of the structures were homes. Four of them were demolished by their own owners on the authorities’ instructions. Eleven of the homes were occupied, and the demolition left 65 people, including 33 minors, homeless. Seven houses were under construction. Three of them were designed to house three families numbering 15 people in total, including five minors; three were designed to house future couples, and one was designed to house newlyweds. Parts of three other houses were demolished by their owners.

In addition to all these, 27 non-residential buildings were demolished by the authorities and two others by the owners. Seventeen of the structures supported the livelihoods of six families and three individuals.

As far as the Israeli apartheid regime is concerned, the areas it controls are intended to serve the Jewish public only, and Palestinian construction in them is almost entirely prohibited. But Palestinians need homes too, and when they build without permits, as they have no other choice, the regime demolishes their homes. “Law enforcement” is just an excuse to sustain Jewish supremacy.

Demolitions:

On Wednesday, 1 February 2023, at around 4:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with an military escort and a bulldozer at the neighborhood of ‘Ein al-Jawizeh located in the part of the village of al-Walajah that was annexed to Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries. The forces demolished the home of a family of nine, including five minors, leaving them homeless.

That same day, at around 6:00 A.M., Border Police officers arrived with a bulldozer at the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Zur Baher. They demolished a stone-built standalone room serving as an office, a container used for storage and the fence surrounding the plot of land where the structures were placed. All structures were owned by a family of six.

Around the same time, Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and a bulldozer at the town of ‘Anata in al-Quds District. The forces demolished a wooden vegetable stall that supported the livelihood of a family of eight.

Later that morning, at around 7:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Tur. The forces demolished an additional unit with a room, a kitchen and a shower built by a family on the roof of its house. The unit was designed to house a family member upon his future marriage and was used for entertaining.

About two hours later, at around 9:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina. The forces demolished a coffee shop that supported the livelihoods of three families.

On the same day, at around 10:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and a bulldozer at the community of al-Kasarat in al-Quds District and demolished a shack used as a livestock enclosure, which supported the livelihood of a family of nine.

At the same time, at around 10:00 A.M. , Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a military escort and a bulldozer at the part of the town of Beit Jala that was annexed to Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries. The forces demolished a home under construction designed to house newlyweds and a fence.

On Friday, 3 February 2023, following an order issued by the Jerusalem Municipality, a family of 10, including seven minors, was forced to demolish its home and a storage room in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-'Amud. The family was left homeless.

On Monday, 6 February 2023, following an order issued by the Jerusalem Municipality, a resident of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Tur, was forced to demolish two shacks used as livestock enclosures.

On Tuesday, 7 February 2023, at around 5:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Tur. The forces demolished an agricultural structure that supported the livelihood of one man.

On Saturday, 11 February 2023, following an order issued by the Jerusalem Municipality, a family of five, including a minor, was forced to demolish a three-room addition it built on the roof of its home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabber.

On Monday, 13 February 2023, at around 4:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabber. The forces demolished the homes of two families numbering 10 people in total, including five minors, leaving them homeless. The forces also demolished a fence owned by another family.

On Tuesday, 14 February 2023, at around 7:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Tur. The forces demolished a shack and a bus used as an office in a parking lot and owned by one person. They also confiscated an electric saw.

On Wednesday, 15 February 2023, at around 3:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with Border Police officers and a bulldozer at the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shu’fat and demolished a commercial building with seven stores, still under construction, designed to be used for the livelihood of a family of ten.

That same day, at around 6:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and a bulldozer at the town of a-Ram in al-Quds District. The forces demolished a stone-built stable and destroyed land owned by a family of seven.

That day, following an order issued by the Jerusalem Municipality, a family of 11, including seven minors was forced to demolish its home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi Qadum. The family was left homeless.

On Wednesday, 22 February 2023, at around 5:00 A.M., Civil Administration personnel arrived with a military escort and a bulldozer at the town of al-’Eizariyah in al-Quds District. The forces demolished two shacks housing two families numbering nine people in total, including three minors, leaving them homeless. The forces also demolished two shacks used as livestock enclosures and destroyed five water tanks and two feeding troughs.

That same day, at around 7:30 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort, a bulldozer and a digger at the neighborhood of ‘Ein al-Jawizeh located in the part of the village of al-Walajah that was annexed to Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries. The forces demolished the home of a family of three, leaving them homeless.

They then continued to the neighborhood of Khilet al-Hawar, also in the part of the village annexed to Jerusalem, where they demolished a two-story, two-unit building still under construction designed to house two families numbering 11 people in total, including three minors and another house under construction designed to house newlyweds in the future. The forces also demolished a wall and part of the roof of an unused shack next to the house.

On Sunday, 26 February 2023, following an order issued by the Jerusalem Municipality, a family of eight, including six minors, was forced to demolish a kitchen and bathroom addition it built in its home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-'Amud.

On Tuesday, 28 February 2023, at around 4:30 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with Border Police officers and a bulldozer at the East Jerusalem neighborhood of al-’Esawiyah. The forces demolished a building still under construction with two units designed to house a family of four, including two minors and a young man upon his future marriage. The young man previously demolished two rooms in one of the units on Wednesday 15 February 2023, following an order issued by the municipality.

That same day, at around 7:00 A.M., Jerusalem Municipality personnel arrived with a Border Police escort and a bulldozer at the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabber. The forces demolished the home of a family of four, including two minors, leaving them homeless.

On that day, a family of seven, including three minors, and a young couple were forced to demolish a two-story building containing their two residential units in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina. They were left homeless.