Israeli authorities have demolished a four-storey residential building in east Jerusalem, forcing around 100 Palestinians from their homes in the Silwan neighbourhood near the Old City. Bulldozers moved in during the early hours of Monday, with residents ordered to leave and allowed to take only essential belongings.
The building, which housed about a dozen apartments, was razed on the grounds that it lacked a construction permit. Israeli police sealed off surrounding roads as security forces oversaw the operation, while residents watched their homes being torn down. Some families said they had nowhere else to go and would have to sleep in cars or with relatives.
Israeli rights groups Ir Amin and Bimkom described the demolition as the largest carried out in east Jerusalem this year, accusing authorities of pursuing a systematic policy that leads to the displacement of Palestinian residents. Palestinian officials said restrictive planning rules make it extremely difficult for Palestinians to obtain building permits in the area.
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Jerusalem municipality officials said the demolition was based on a court order issued in 2014 and that the land was zoned for non-residential use.
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