Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) demolished, on Wednesday, four residential apartments along with agricultural and livestock facilities in the town of Al-Issawiya, north-east of occupied Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Governorate said the apartments and facilities belong to the family of Jerusalemite resident Radi Nasser Abu Riyyala, noting that the demolitions were carried out following an Israeli military incursion into the area.
In a related development, the forces also demolished two additional homes earlier today in Jabal al-Mukabber, belonging to brothers Mahmoud and Wasim Mashahra. Mahmoud’s home, measuring approximately 45 square metres, housed four family members, while his brother Wasim’s home sheltered five.
These attacks come as part of an ongoing policy of home demolitions pursued by the occupation authorities under the pretext of “lack of building permits” in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
International law stipulates that the forced demolition of homes, particularly when it targets civilians and their families, constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits collective punishment for acts individuals did not commit.
The destruction of agricultural and livestock facilities also represents a direct threat to the right to adequate housing and a dignified life, as it undermines livelihoods and further exacerbates the humanitarian conditions facing affected residents.
Within the framework of civil rights, the right to housing is recognised as a fundamental human right, encompassing protection from forced displacement and the provision of a safe environment in which people can secure their basic needs.
These acts amount to a grave violation of the rights of Jerusalem’s civilian population, intensifying their daily suffering and jeopardising the livelihoods of families who depend on these facilities as a primary source of income.
The continued demolitions raise serious questions about the absence of any effective international accountability for such violations, and underscore the failure of international institutions to protect the fundamental rights of civilians in the occupied territories.
