Israeli army demolishes Palestinian commercial establishments in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM

The Israeli army on Sunday demolished two commercial establishments and excavated a land belonging to Palestinians in Beit Hanina in occupied East Jerusalem.

The Israeli army raided the town of Beit Hanina, demolishing a commercial shop and a car showroom, and excavating a land, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The agency did not mention the reason for the Israeli army taking this measure, but it usually uses “construction without a permit” as an excuse in similar cases.

According to the Palestinian Authority's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israeli authorities demolished 318 commercial establishments in the West Bank belonging to Palestinians during the first half of this year and issued demolition notices for 359 others, including 85 in Jerusalem.

The Israeli municipality in Jerusalem refrains from granting building permits to Palestinians, and demolishes or forces them to demolish their homes and establishments.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, amid a deadly Israeli offensive that killed nearly 39,000 people in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 578 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala