Claiming lack of building permits, Israel continues to demolish Palestinian homes
While refusing to grant Palestinians building permits, the Israeli authorities have recently intensified their demolition operations targeting Palestinian homes, justifying their actions by claiming that these homes were built without permits.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Layla al-Isawi is concerned and fears the Israeli authorities might demolish her family’s house in the Issawiya neighborhood of Jerusalem, allegedly because the family did not have a building permit from the municipality. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Isawi, 69, said she was surprised when she found a demolition notice on her door on May 9 after she returned from a visit to Hasharon prison in Israel, where her daughter Shirine is kept.
Shirine was arrested on March 6, 2014, and sentenced to four years in prison on charges of providing assistance to prisoners and acting as a facilitator between prisoners and leaders, along with her brother, who was sentenced to eight years in prison. The demolition notice stated that Isawi had 30 days to contact the Israeli authorities about the issue.
