News - Middle East: Israeli forces demolished a four-storey residential building in occupied East al-Quds on Monday, displacing more than 100 Palestinians as part of a long-standing campaign of forced displacement.

The 13-apartment building, located in the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood of the Silwan district south of al-Quds’s Old City, was razed by three bulldozers escorted by the regime's soldiers.

Israeli forces cordoned off surrounding roads, deployed heavily across the area, and positioned military personnel on the rooftops of neighboring houses.

The regime's soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas as the demolition took place. During the operation, a young man and a teenage boy were arrested.

Residents and activists described the destruction as the largest demolition in the area this year, while Palestinian officials condemned the action as part of a “systematic policy of displacement” in the occupied territory.

Local residents said the demolition reflects ongoing efforts to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their land.

Israeli authorities claimed the building was constructed without a permit, a common justification for demolition orders in occupied East al-Quds.

According to a United Nations study, such permits are “virtually impossible” to obtain.

Some Palestinians have been forced to demolish their own homes to avoid paying thousands of shekels in demolition fees imposed by Israel.

The developments come a day after Israel’s "security cabinet" approved a highly controversial plan to establish 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.

In September, far-right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced intentions to annex more than 80 percent of the West Bank, describing the move as a “preventative step” against international efforts to recognize Palestinian statehood.

Israel occupied the West Bank, including the western part of the holy city of al-Quds, in 1967 and later annexed East al-Quds, which Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s prolonged occupation of historic Palestine was unlawful and called for the removal of all settlements currently in the West Bank and East al-Quds.

Source: Press TV