During previous Gaza conflicts, Israel would reduce demolition of non-permit Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem to calm tensions. This time, Israel has increased demolitions amid the war.

Jerusalem

Israel and Iran have agreed a ceasefire after a twelve day conflict. Meanwhile, Israel strikes in Gaza continue with the humanitarian crisis deepening.

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Israel has increased the demolition of Palestinian homes built without permits in East Jerusalem amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Mohammad Aouda, a resident of East Jerusalem, received a notice to demolish his home, joining 12 other homes in his area facing similar orders. This marks a significant shift from past conflicts, where Israel would typically reduce such demolitions to ease tensions.

East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since the 1967 war and annexed in 1980, remains central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The international community largely does not recognize Israel's claim over the area, and Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. Despite making up a significant portion of Jerusalem’s population, Palestinians face substantial barriers to obtaining building permits, a situation highlighted by the United Nations and Ir Amim, an Israeli non-profit.

Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at Ir Amim, indicates that Israeli zoning laws and government plans systematically hinder Palestinian development while promoting Israeli settlements. In many cases, Palestinian zoning initiatives are blocked. Palestinian residents like Aouda often build without permits, knowing they are unlikely to get approval. This results in their homes being subject to demolition.

The increase in demolitions has drawn criticism from various rights groups who argue it exacerbates tensions and could potentially incite violence. However, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Ari King defends the demolitions as necessary law enforcement and denies any discriminatory intent. King argues that the issuance of permits is fair and that the government's actions are not aimed at displacing Palestinian residents.

Fakhri Abu Diab, an anti-demolition activist, contests this view, emphasizing the disparities in treatment between Jewish settlers and Palestinian residents. He cites the ease with which settlers build homes compared to the obstacles faced by Palestinians. The situation has led to heightened concerns about the potential for increased violence, especially given the current far-right government's stance on national security and demolitions.

While Israeli authorities argue their actions are in line with the law, Palestinian residents like Aouda plan to resist. As he awaits the demolition of his home, Aouda vows to continue living on his land, even if it means pitching a tent in place of his demolished house.



Israel increases demolition of non-permit Palestinian homes

This piece of paper turned Mohammad Aouda's life upside down. It's an order to demolish his home, built without an Israeli permit. He lives here with his parents, wife and brother's family. He tells me theirs was just one of 13 demolition orders Israeli authorities issued in the area that day. They told me either you demolish the house or we will come and do it for you. Mohammad and his family live in East Jerusalem. Israel occupied it in the 1967 war and annexed it in 1980, declaring the whole city its eternal, undivided capital. Most of the international community does not recognize this and Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. A majority of Jerusalem's 360,000 Palestinians live here, yet they find getting permits to build homes virtually impossible, according to the UN. It says Israeli authorities zone little land for Palestinian development while facilitating the expansion of Israeli settlements. That's also the experience of Aviv Tatarsky. He's a researcher at Ir Amim, an Israeli non-profit that focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Jerusalem. The permit regime is being controlled by the municipality, based on zoning plans that are controlled by the government. And both these bodies are making sure that the zoning plans do not allow enough permits fitting for the size of the population. And when Palestinian communities in Jerusalem initiate zoning plans, most of the times these are blocked, derailed, rejected. Given the situation, Mohammad did not even apply for a permit. He says he knew he'd never get one. He simply built his house on his land. The penalty for doing that is demolition, which rights groups say Israeli authorities have expanded since the October 7th terror attack. They don't want a lot of Arabs. They want to reduce us. That's an accusation that Ari King, a Jerusalem deputy mayor and settler leader, vehemently rejects. To him, the increase in home demolitions is simply about enforcing the law. He insists permits are issued without discrimination against Palestinian residents. If we wanted really to create an environment of pushing them out, we would not invest there. For Palestinian anti-demolition activist Fakhri Abu Diab, none of that investment King mentioned is for his community. Standing in the ruins of his home, he says the Jewish settler community living in his East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan has no trouble building, while Israeli authorities demolished his house in February. They demolished my life, my past. My mother was here. She gave birth to me here. Under this rubble, there is a 50-year-old picture of me and my mother. There is nothing that can bring that back. Aviv Tatarsky's rights group, Ir Amin, fears this wave of demolitions could spark violence in Jerusalem. He tells me that, during Israel's previous wars in Gaza, Israeli authorities often halted demolitions to prevent tensions bubbling over here. This time we see an opposite policy. We understand that this government sees a conflagration not as a risk. It's an opportunity. It allows it to carry out more and more violent and drastic measures. He says that's because this time, a far-right nationalist, Itamar Bengvir, is minister of national security, in charge of the police force needed to enforce demolitions. To Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Ari King, Mr. Bengvir is doing the right thing. We are not demolishing enough in East Jerusalem. As he waits for the bulldozer to come and demolish his home, Mohammed tells me what his plans are. If they demolish the house, we will pitch a tent and sit here. We will not leave our home.

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