WEST BANK, (The Palestine Foundation Pakistan)
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) issued demolition orders on Wednesday for nine residential homes, some inhabited, others under construction or nearing completion, in the village of Artas, located south of Bethlehem in the West Bank.
According to local sources, the IOF troops stormed the “Jabal Abu Zaid” area of the village and affixed demolition notices on the façades of the homes. The notices demanded that the owners dismantle their properties and warned that if they failed to do so, the homes would be demolished at their own expense. The residents were given a 30-day deadline to submit documents proving ownership of the land.
Among the targeted homes, four are currently inhabited. These include houses belonging to brothers Mohammad and Ali Ibrahim Shaheen, as well as Fadi Emad Asaad. The identity of the owner of the fourth inhabited home remains unknown.
The remaining homes are either nearing completion or still under construction. They belong to Hussein Mohammad Ismail, Hossam Khaled Ismail, Waleed Ismail Ahmad Ismail, Suleiman Mohammad Saad, and Khaled Ismail Ahmad Ismail.
This development is part of an ongoing policy by the Israeli authorities to issue demolition orders for Palestinian homes and commercial structures throughout the West Bank and within the 1948-occupied territories, under the pretext of lacking Israeli building permits. However, Israel deliberately hinders and obstructs permit applications for Palestinians as part of a systematic effort to displace them from their lands and restrict their urban development.
