The European Union on Saturday condemned the Israeli demolition of some 20 commercial structures in the Shuafat refugee camp in east Jerusalem, saying it was part of "Israeli settlement expansion."
The buildings were razed on Wednesday as part of the Jerusalem municipality's policy of expanding enforcement with respect to illegally-built structures.
The Israel Police said the operation, during which 18 storefronts and three gas stations in a particularly neglected part of the camp were torn down, was carried out following complaints from the residents and with their consent.
The operation "targeted stores that were built illegally in the center of the camp and created unbearable traffic congestion and crowding. The municipality will continue to carry out activities with the support of the police against illegal businesses in the different areas," the police statement said.
The EU, however, chose to link the operation to a recent decision by the Jerusalem Planning and Building Committee, which earlier this month approved the construction of hundreds of new homes in the city's Gilo and Ramat Shlomo neighborhoods.
"Last week, Israeli authorities demolished some 20 Palestinian commercial structures in the Shuafat Palestinian refugee camp in east Jerusalem. The demolition started several weeks after the Jerusalem Municipality decided to promote a plan to build 800 housing units in the Israeli settlements of Gilo and Ramat Shlomo in east Jerusalem," a spokesperson at the Office of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the EU said.
"The European Union strongly opposes the policy of Israeli settlements, which is illegal under international law, and the actions taken in this regard. The European Union expects the Israeli authorities to reconsider and revoke these decisions.
"The policy of settlement construction and expansion in east Jerusalem continues to undermine the possibility of a viable two-state solution, with Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, which is the only realistic way to achieve a just and lasting peace," the statement said.
Despite the fact that the demolition took place with the residents' consent and was carried out as part of the Jerusalem Municipality's ongoing attempts to improve their quality of life, Palestinian media described the city's actions as "a crime by the occupation."
Ahmad Abu Holy, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Refugee Department, condemned the move, telling the Palestinian news agency Wafa that it was carried out "under the illegal pretext of building without a permit."