Shu’fat Refugee Camp…Demolishing 19 commercial stores…clashes and arrests
The Israeli occupation authorities carried out a large-scale demolition of 19 commercial establishments on the outskirts of the main street of Shu'fat refugee camp northeast of Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a permit.
Hundreds of soldiers stormed Shu'fat refugee camp in the morning and spread along the main road. They closed the checkpoint and prevented the entry of vehicles and buses.The entry and exit of the camp was made through Ras Khamis gate. The demolition area was closed with iron barriers and red stripes, knowing that the demolition operation took place in the main street which means that life had been disrupted in the camp all day because of the demolition.
Thaer Fasfoos, a Fatah spokesman in Shu’fat refugee camp, said that three fuel stations and 16 shops "restaurants, bakery, clothing stores and shoe shops, barbershops for women and men" were destroyed. Nearly 60 individuals used the demolished shops for their livelihood.
Fasfoos added that the occupation authorities hung the demolition notices on shops late Tuesday night, and gave the shop owners 12 hours to empty their shops of the goods and evacuate. On the next morning, the forces accompanied by bulldozers stormed the camp and proceeded with the demolition of all shops, and then loaded the rubble in special trucks.
He added that clashes broke out in Shu'fat refugee camp during the demolition operation in which the occupation forces fired sound grenades and rubber bullets at the youths.
Students from Shu'fat camp were unable to attend their schools, Thaer said: “The schools inside the camp did not open due to the intensive deployment of soldiers in the streets and alleys. Those who study outside the camp were not able to reach their schools due to the closure of the checkpoint as the student buses were also unable to reach the students and pick them up.Students that managed to leave the camp before the closure and the incursion had difficulty entering the camp and were forced to walk long and winding roads to reach their homes after being prevented from walking the usual roads.
The Israeli occupation forces arrested four young Jerusalemites and turned them to the police station "Atarot" north of Jerusalem, after being held for hours in the streets of the camp. Wadi Hilweh Information Center’s lawyer explained that the detainees are: Mohammad Isam Qawasmi, Raed Rajabi, Mahmoud Dghma and Ahmad Hdib.
