Israeli authorities demolish building

JERUSALEM: Israeli authorities demolished a residential building in annexed east Jerusalem yesterday, leaving 35 people, the majority of them children, homeless.

The demolition of the threestorey building in the area of Silwan was carried out because the owners lacked the required permits, the authorities said. Israel regularly razes homes built by Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank if they lack the relevant construction permits.

According to a UN study, such permits are “virtually impossible” to obtain, and the result is a chronic housing shortage.

Silwan is adjacent to Jerusalem’s Old City.