Israeli forces demolish 3-story building in Qalandiya industrial zone

Ma’an – August 11, 2015

JERUSALEM – Israeli forces on Tuesday morning demolished a three-story commercial building in the industrial zone of Qalandiya north of Jerusalem, the owner told Ma’an.

Mazin Abu Diab said that Israeli forces stormed the industrial zone and sealed it completely before bulldozers demolished a three-story building he owns in the area.

He said that the building consisted of two meeting halls, four offices and additional utilities measuring 220 square meters in total.

Abu Diab said that part of the building was constructed in 1971, and another part measuring 100 square meters was added on in 2013.

He said that he had tried to obtain the necessary permits from the Israeli authorities for the additional structure, but said that the Jerusalem municipality decided to demolish the entire building rather than give him a license.

Abu Diab said that he started to refurbish the building about five months ago.

According to the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem, 98 percent of Qalandiya’s territories are classified as Area C.

Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, building permits must be approved by the Israeli Civil Administration for Palestinians to build in Area C.

As a result of rarely-approved permits, however, Palestinian residents are often forced to build structures without permits, which are liable to be torn down later by Israeli forces.

According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Israel has demolished at least 27,000 Palestinian homes and structures since occupying the West Bank in 1967.