Israeli work crews on Monday began demolishing dozens of Palestinian homes in an east Jerusalem neighborhood, in one of the largest operations of its kind in years.
The demolitions capped a yearslong legal battle over the buildings, built along the seamline straddling the city and Judea and Samaria. Israel maintains the buildings were erected too close to the security fence built in the area, but the residents claim the buildings are in Area A, which is under the full control of the Palestinian Authority, and which they say gave them construction permits.
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In the wake of a recent High Court of Justice decision clearing the way for the demolitions, Israeli work crews moved into the neighborhood overnight to carry out the demolition.
According to the United Nations, some 20 people already living in the buildings were being displaced, while 350 owners of properties that were under construction or not yet inhabited were also affected.
Israel built its security fence on the Jerusalem seamline in the early 2000s, saying it was vital to prevent the infiltration of Palestinian suicide bombers into Israel. The Palestinians claim the barrier is an illegal land grab because it juts into the West Bank in many places.
Sur Baher is one of those places. In negotiations with residents, Israel built the route of the structure in Sur Baher inside the West Bank to prevent dividing the village and disrupting life, according to court documents.
However, residents, claiming it is impossible to get Israeli building permits in east Jerusalem, began building the apartment buildings in the West Bank part of the village with permission from the Palestinian Authority. Early this decade, the Israeli military ordered the construction to stop, saying it could not permit high-rise buildings so close to the security fence.
According to Ir Amim, an Israeli nongovernmental organization that advocates equality and coexistence in the city, Israel has stepped up demolitions of unauthorized Palestinian properties in east Jerusalem.
It said Israel demolished some 63 housing units in the first half of this year, compared to 37 during the same period last year.
