Israel began demolishing Palestinian homes in a Jerusalem neighborhood

Heavy vehicles from City Hall, escorted by Israeli police agents, broke into the Wadi Yetzol area, located between the Palestinian neighborhoods of Silwan and Abuh Tor, and demolished two buildings despite the opposition of Palestinian neighbors, who clashed with security forces, according to the Haaretz newspaper.

The Supreme Court opened the door a few days ago to the demolition of 56 houses of the area where more than 500 people live, after rejecting a petition against demolitions presented by the affected families.

As ruled by the institution, Palestinians built homes "illegally" decades ago in an area designated a green zone by the municipal authoritiesand the demolition orders came into effect immediately when the inhabitants' request was rejected, the EFE news agency reported.

The neighbors raised the houses on land that belonged to them and in recent years they tried to regularize their status with the presbytery, but according to their lawyer, Ziyad Qawar, the municipality has repeatedly rejected their requests.

For its part, a spokesman for the mayor of Jerusalem said the area affected by the demolitions "has clearly been designated a green zone for public use", and he badured that "the municipality has proposed to the residents a series of practical solutions to remedy the violations of the buildings to be built in recent years".

"Unfortunately, residents have chosen to submit projects that do not comply with the law and the court was forced to reject them," the spokeswoman added.

Israeli NGO Ir Amim denounced in a statement that today's demolitions "symbolize discrimination" in the planning of Israeli authorities against Palestinians in the eastern part of Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since the war Six days. 1967

Israel's demolitions of unauthorized Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem are common and, according to the UN, getting building permits in this area is extremely difficult and costly.