On Wednesday, Israeli bulldozers destroyed five Palestinian homes, a gas station and a car wash in the town of At-Tour, east of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank.
According to eyewitnesses, among the destroyed buildings were a house belonging to Maher Nasser and a compound belonging to the Al-Kiswani family, which included a laundry and a gas station.
They added that the army also razed barns and sheepfolds belonging to the Al-Saeedi family, as well as two houses belonging to the Dirbas family and houses belonging to the Al-Damiri family.
The army also destroyed a house belonging to the Abu Sbeitan family and a property with a horse stable belonging to the Abu Ghannam family.
In addition, the soldiers cut off electricity supplies to houses and businesses in the area affected by the destruction.
The demolition of Palestinian houses and buildings was done to facilitate the construction of a separate colonial road in the area.
In July, the total number of demolitions in the Jerusalem Governorate was 76, including ten forced self-demolitions and 62 demolitions carried out by the occupying power, in addition to four bulldozings on Palestinian land.
Israeli police also issued over 13 demolition orders for buildings in various villages and towns in the Jerusalem Governorate, particularly in the areas of Bab al-Amoud, Jabal al-Mukabbir, Anata, Shu’fat refugee camp, al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan, Wadi al-Jouz, Kafr Aqab, Hizma, al-Khunideq area and Ras an-Nader in Beit Anan, northwest of occupied Jerusalem.
In addition, Israeli authorities announced plans to demolish the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in the Silwan Building (Silwanic) within a year and imposed a fine of NIS 20,000 on its director, Jawad Siyam.
A similar message said that the soldiers attacked, injured and kidnapped a young man, Mohammad Husam Oweisat, in his house in Jabal Al-Al-Mukabbir after storming and looting his family’s house.
The soldiers also entered the Al-Abbasiyya neighborhood in Silwan, blocking several streets and conducting searches.
The demolitions were part of an older plan to build a colonial road that would connect the colonies in the West Bank with Jerusalem, including the illegal colony of Har Homa (Jabal Abu Ghneim) and other colonies around Jerusalem. This plan, known as the Jerusalem Beltway or Jerusalem Ring, was intended to surround the occupied city with colonies.
Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in occupied East Jerusalem and the surrounding area, are illegal under international law, the Fourth Geneva Convention and various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under international law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits “individual or mass transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory.”
