The Israeli occupation forces raided the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan and demolished a store in al-Bustan neighbourhood, one of 17 structures, mainly homes, in that area slated for demolition by the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem.

The demolition was carried out two days after the end of the “Israeli municipality” deadline for 13 Palestinian families to self-demolish their 17 homes in the neighbourhood under the pretext of building without a permit.

Rajabi and other residents confronted the Israeli occupation forces to prevent the demolition and were brutally attacked by the vicious Israeli occupation forces hitting some with rubber-coated steel bullet, one of them was transferred to hospital, and causing others to suffocate from tear gas, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Using the pretext of illegal building, the Israeli occupation demolishes houses regularly to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem while denying them building permits in their neighbourhoods.

At the same time, the “Israeli municipality” and “government” build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews intending to offset the demographic balance in favour of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian territory that has been subjected to Israeli military occupation since 1967, are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as “residents”, which can be revoked for any reason.