Despite ongoing licensing procedures, three apartments owned by the Alqam family in Beit Hanina were demolished
The Israeli municipality demolished three apartments belonging to the Alqam family in Beit Hanina, northern Jerusalem, citing lack of permits, even though the family insists the permit process is still ongoing.
The homes that were demolished belonged to Raed Alqam and his son Rateb, as well as a second-floor apartment owned by his daughter. She, along with her husband, had recently furnished the house and moved in after their marriage.
The family mentioned that the case had been open for around 19 years, and they had recently been working with the municipality's lawyer to pursue the permit process. They also notified the authorities of their plan to appeal to the Jerusalem District Court.
However, before the appeal was filed and any court ruling was issued, Israeli forces arrived early in the morning with bulldozers and started demolishing the three apartments.
The municipality states that the family delayed permitting procedures by two years, but the family argues that emergency measures and directives from the Israeli Home Front Command over the past two years interrupted the process and prevented its normal progress.
This demolition occurs within the broader ongoing policy of demolishing homes in Jerusalem under the guise of lacking permits, leading to family displacements and immediate harm to residents.
