OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
According to UN data, Israeli occupation authorities have demolished over 2,000 Palestinian structures in Jerusalem over the past 15 years, displacing nearly 4,200 Jerusalemites. Updates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied territories indicate on its website that since the beginning of 2010 until the start of this year, “2,128 structures have been demolished, of which 2,091 were demolished under the pretext of lacking permits.”
The data show that the demolition operations have led to the displacement of about 4,200 Jerusalemites, with around 51,500 others being affected. The demolition operations were concentrated in the following neighborhoods: Al-Mukabber (359), Silwan (267), Beit Hanina (240), Al-Issawiya (188), Al-Tur (127), Sur Baher (120), Al-Walaja (103), and other neighborhoods and villages in the city.
Among the demolished homes, 724 were inhabited, 416 were uninhabited, 354 were agricultural structures, and 403 were related to livelihoods such as shops. For its part, the Jerusalem governorate stated this Sunday that the occupation authorities have carried out 439 demolition operations in Jerusalem since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, until the end of 2024.
According to the UN office, Israeli forces have demolished 1,762 buildings owned by Palestinians or forced their owners to demolish them, resulting in the displacement of about 4,250 Palestinians, including 1,712 children, and affecting around 165,000 others in the West Bank during 2024.
The year 2024 recorded the highest number of people displaced and buildings destroyed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the documentation of demolition operations began in 2009, “due to the widespread destruction of Palestinian homes and infrastructure by Israeli forces.”
Previous UN reports indicate that “the restrictive and discriminatory planning system makes it virtually impossible for Palestinians in Jerusalem to obtain the building permits required by Israel.” It noted that “only about 13% of the area of East Jerusalem is designated for Palestinian construction, but most of this space is already inhabited, and Palestinians who build homes without obtaining permits face the risk of demolition, along with other penalties, including hefty fines.”
It was mentioned that “at least one-third of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem lack building permits issued by Israel, putting over 100,000 Palestinians residing in the city at risk of displacement.”
