Forced displacement continues in Jerusalem

Israeli authorities' machinery demolished on Tuesday a five-story residential building in the neighborhood of Al-Tur in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a license, leading to the displacement of 70 Palestinians, amid Palestinian criticism considering the operation part of the policy of forced displacement and changing the demographic reality in the city.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir oversaw the demolition operation, asserting that the building is "illegal," while a large force of Israeli police accompanied by three bulldozers arrived in the neighborhood at dawn and forced the residents to evacuate the building before beginning its demolition.

During the demolition operation, Ben-Gvir arrived at the site and stated that what is happening is the demolition of what he described as "illegal," before climbing into the cockpit of one of the bulldozers, in a scene that sparked widespread Palestinian criticism.

The Jerusalem Governorate stated that the demolition of the building represents "a dangerous escalation in the policy of home demolitions and forced displacement," considering that the operation aims to impose a new demographic and urban reality in the city, accusing Ben-Gvir of "official incitement against Jerusalemites and their presence" and exploiting the Jerusalem file in Israeli electoral propaganda.

Building residents confirmed that they received a demolition warning the previous day, but they were unaware of the date of its execution.

After the building turned into rubble, residents tried to salvage what they could of their belongings, including clothes, documents, photos, school and university certificates, and computers, while gas cylinders and household items gathered among piles of stones and concrete rebar.

Occupied East Jerusalem suffers from a severe housing crisis, amidst the scarcity of building permits granted by Israeli authorities to Palestinians, while the authorities frequently carry out demolitions of Palestinian buildings under the pretext of lacking permits.

According to Palestinian data, more than 360,000 Palestinians live in East Jerusalem, alongside about 230,000 Israelis. Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the 1967 war, and later announced the annexation of East Jerusalem, in a move not recognized by the international community.

In the same context, a recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that Israeli authorities demolished 86 buildings in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between September 15 and 21, leading to the displacement of 147 Palestinians, including 73 children.

The ongoing demolitions raise Palestinian and international concerns about entrenching a new reality in East Jerusalem by reducing the ability of Palestinians to build and reside, and pushing more families to leave their places of residence under the weight of restrictions and demolitions.

On the other hand, the olive harvesting season in the West Bank is witnessing an escalation by settlers and occupation forces, amid UN accusations of increasing coordination between them to prevent Palestinian farmers from accessing their lands and harvesting their crops.

Haaretz newspaper revealed that the occupation army declared olive groves "closed military zones" and prevented farmers from harvesting due to the presence of activists accompanying them to protect them from settlers, even though military instructions do not consider the presence of activists a reason for closing the areas.

According to Palestinian and UN data, the first half of 2026 witnessed more than 1,380 settler attacks, while last September recorded more than 2,051 violations, including the destruction of about 14,600 olive trees, and 30 Palestinians have been killed by settler fire since the beginning of the year.

The attacks include uprooting trees, burning homes, vehicles, and fields, stealing crops, and killing animals, while the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs described the olive season as an "open confrontation zone." In response to settlement, the European Union imposed sanctions on four entities and three individuals linked to settlement and violence, while European countries, including Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, and Ireland, took trade measures against settlement products.