OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (The Palestine Foundation Pakistan)The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) on Thursday issued demolition orders for large industrial facilities and homes in the towns of Anata and Qalandiya in Occupied Jerusalem.
Local sources reported that occupation forces raided the entrance of Anata, northeast of Jerusalem, and distributed demolition notices targeting barns, iron factories, and furniture workshops. This move comes as part of a long-standing plan to build a road, a roundabout, and a bridge connecting the Anata junction to the Hizma military checkpoint, within the framework of the “Greater Jerusalem” and “E1” settlement projects.
According to the sources, the IOA seeks to eliminate any Palestinian structures along the path of this project. Demolition operations in the area have been repeatedly carried out under various pretexts, such as lack of building permits or proximity to the apartheid wall.
The sources warned that what is happening at the entrance to Anata and along the Al-Za’im road is part of a broader plan to establish a new segregated road in the near future, aimed at preventing Palestinians from using Abu George Road, which leads to the Jerusalem–Jericho highway and is designated exclusively for settlers. Consequently, the Anata/Al-Za’im entrance would be restricted to Palestinian use only, connecting Anata, al-Za’im, and the Hizma checkpoint roundabout.
In a related development, the IOA also issued evacuation orders on Thursday to several residents in the town of Qalandiya, northwest of Jerusalem, demanding the evacuation of their homes and lands.
Local sources said that teams from the IOA municipality, accompanied by military forces, raided the eastern part of the town and handed out notices to vacate several homes and olive-planted lands.
Meanwhile, occupation forces arrested two children from the town of Al-Isawiya, east of Jerusalem. Local sources reported that the children, Mohammad Abu Asab and Ahmad Abed, were detained after soldiers raided their family homes.
The same sources added that Israeli forces completely closed the Beit Iksa military checkpoint, northwest of Jerusalem, preventing residents from entering or leaving the village, which led to severe traffic congestion.
