Israeli Forces Demolish 5-Story Building in East Jerusalem

Israeli forces commenced the demolition of a five-story residential building in the East Jerusalem town of Al-Tur on Tuesday, forcibly evacuating its residents and preventing them from removing their belongings. Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived at the scene with reinforced police forces to oversee the demolition of the structure, which contains 10 apartments and housed approximately 70 Jerusalem residents, mostly women and children.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center reported that Israeli forces stormed the town with bulldozers, raided the building, and forcibly removed residents before beginning the demolition. The forces also assaulted some citizens during the evacuation. The building, owned by Mustafa Abu Sbeitan, comprises five floors and 10 apartments, with about 70 individuals residing there.

Demolition orders for the building date back to 2022, but a court order had temporarily halted the execution after residents appealed to Israeli courts. In previous years, residents paid tens of thousands of dollars in fines and fees in an attempt to obtain a building permit, but Israeli authorities denied their applications. On Monday, authorities issued a final evacuation notice to the residents ahead of the demolition, following years of demolition notices and heavy fines.

The Jerusalem Governorate stated that the demolition began at dawn Tuesday after forces stormed the area with military vehicles and bulldozers from the occupation municipality. The forces evacuated residents and prevented them from taking their belongings before the demolition commenced. This demolition is part of a continuous escalation of home and structure demolitions in occupied Jerusalem.

According to statistics from the Jerusalem Governorate, Israeli authorities have carried out 427 demolition and bulldozing operations in the governorate from the beginning of the year until the end of September 2026. This includes 139 operations in the third quarter of 2026, with 35 being self-demolitions, 96 carried out directly by Israeli forces, and eight targeting Palestinian lands and facilities. During the same period, Israeli authorities issued 150 notices and decisions related to demolition, evacuation, and seizure, including 140 demolition notices.