Israel demolishes seven-apartment home in East Jerusalem, leaving 35 homeless

Israeli machinery demolished a seven-apartment residential building near the Qalandiya refugee camp in East Jerusalem on the grounds that it lacked a building permit.

Israeli construction machinery demolished a seven-apartment residential building in the Al-Wad area near the Qalandiya refugee camp in northern occupied East Jerusalem. The Palestinian administration of Jerusalem Governorate said 35 people were left homeless.

Israeli authorities said the demolition was carried out because the building had been constructed without a permit. The Palestinian agency WAFA reported that the apartments belonged to the Abu Lebba family. Representatives of the governorate said Israeli forces beat the owners and damaged a car during the demolition.

Руины дома, снесённого израильскими силами

Israel imposes strict restrictions on issuing building permits to Palestinians in East Jerusalem. Human Rights Watch said in June that it was virtually impossible for Palestinians to obtain such a permit.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said Israeli authorities carried out 341 demolitions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the first half of 2026. The demolitions affected 740 Palestinian structures, while 254 demolition notices were issued.