On Wednesday, an Israeli force demolished 3 Palestinian homes south of Jerusalem, despite a European warning about the repercussions of the demolitions, according to a joint statement from the consuls and ambassadors of 21 countries.
On Wednesday, an Israeli military force demolished three Palestinian homes in the village of Al-Walaja, south of occupied East Jerusalem, the day after a European warning about the repercussions of the continued demolition policy.
The head of the village council of the town of Al-Walaja, Khader Al-Araj, said that a military force raided the town on Wednesday and began demolishing three houses. Allegedly building without a permit.
He explained that the army completely demolished two homes, and a third partially, in Al-Walaja.
Al-Araj pointed out that the lands where the demolition occurred in the town (belonging to the Bethlehem Governorate in the south of the occupied West Bank) are administratively located within the borders of the nearby Jerusalem municipality.
He confirmed that Israel has escalated its attacks on the town since it began its war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, and has demolished 8 homes since that date.
He accused Israel of working to restrict the population with the aim of displacing them from their lands.
Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organizations say that the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem grants building permits to Jewish settlements in the city, while tightening restrictions on granting building permits to Palestinians.
For its part, the Israeli "Peace Now" movement, which monitors settlements, said in a post on the
She pointed out that "Al-Walaja is located on the Palestinian side of the separation wall (separation wall), and demolition operations are taking place in an area officially affiliated with the Jerusalem municipality, but the municipality does not provide any services there, except for demolition services."
The demolition of homes came a day after the consuls and ambassadors of 21 European countries warned, in a joint statement on Tuesday, of the repercussions of the continued demolition of Palestinian homes, including in the town of Al-Walaja.
This warning was issued by the representatives of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greek Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The Palestinians cling to East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state, based on international legitimacy resolutions, which do not recognize Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967 nor its annexation in 1981.