Israel bulldozes homes built ‘too close’ to border

ISRAELI work crews have started to demolish a number of Palestinian homes on the outskirts of east Jerusalem following a year-long legal battle.

The Palestinians immediately condemned the “dangerous” operation in the Sur Baher area which straddles the West Bank but Israel defended the move as essential to its security.

Residents and activists were dragged out of the houses and flats as hundreds of police and soldiers sealed off the buildings in the area close to the Israeli security barrier.

Bulldozers moved in yesterday morning to demolish several buildings – many of which were still under construction. One man yelled “I want to die here”, after being forced out.

Ismail Abadiyeh, who lived in one of the bulldozed properties, said he and his family would be left homeless. “We will be on the street,” he said.

Israel says the buildings were erected too close to its West Bank separation barrier which was erected to prevent attacks launched from the West Bank.

However, residents say they are on West Bank land and the Palestinian Authority issued them with construction permits.

Israel’s supreme court this month rejected the residents’ final appeal, clearing the way for the demolitions. The deadline for residents to leave was last Friday.

Palestinians accuse Israel of using security as a pretext to force them out as part of

‘This is the biggest and most dangerous operation outside of war operations’

long-term efforts to expand its settlements. Most of the buildings are sited in areas meant to be under Palestinian Authority civilian control, the owners have argued.

“What is painfully happening here is the biggest and most dangerous demolition operation outside of war operations,” Walid Asaf, the Palestinian minister in charge of monitoring Israeli settlements, said in a video from the site.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, called on the international community “to intervene immediately to stop this aggression against our people”.