International and Arab condemnation of Israel's demolition of Jerusalemite homes

The United Nations, the European Union and several countries and organizations of the Israeli occupation army on Monday condemned Palestinian homes in the town of Sur Baher, southeast of occupied Jerusalem.

Farhan Haq, spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that the demolition of private property in the occupied territories was prohibited only if strictly military necessity required it. That was not the case.

Haq quoted senior UN officials as saying that the demolition was contrary to Israel's obligations under international law.

The Union called on the Israeli authorities to immediately halt the ongoing demolitions and stressed that the continuation of Israeli policy seriously undermines the possibility of Jerusalem as the future capital of both countries.

France also condemned the Israeli demolition as a violation of international law. A spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry said that her country condemns what the Israeli army has done, and considers the demolition in the occupied territories contrary to international law.

The State of Qatar condemned the demolition, saying that it was "an infringement of the historic rights of the brotherly Palestinian people and a crime against humanity that reflects the disregard of the Israeli government for international laws and international legitimacy resolutions."

The ministry stressed that "this crime requires urgent international intervention to obligate the Israeli entity to stop the demolitions and provide protection for the Palestinian people."

In a statement issued by Jordanian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sufian al-Qudah, Jordan strongly condemned the demolition and called for the immediate cessation of such practices "aimed at forcible displacement of the population."

The statement stressed the Hashemite Kingdom's rejection of "Israeli settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, which include the building of settlements and the expansion of existing ones, land confiscation, demolition and expulsion of residents ... and other policies and measures aimed at the forced displacement of the population."

"All these measures are in stark contrast to the agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians, international law and international humanitarian law." He called on Israel "to immediately cease these practices that deepen despair, increase tension and fundamentally affect the two-state solution, the only way to peace and stability in the region."

Launch of resistance
The Palestinian Liberation Organization described the demolition of dozens of Palestinian homes in the town of Sur Bahir, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, as a "war crime" and "ethnic cleansing" by the so-called "government of settler terrorism."

In turn, the Islamic Jihad movement considered the move a crime and described it as "a massacre against the Palestinians." And considered that these violations are a direct result of the American plan in the region, and continued normalization with the occupation, and called for an escalation of the intifada and the comprehensive confrontation.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) called for the release of the hand of resistance in the West Bank. The Israeli move calls for a decisive Palestinian response to a comprehensive national program that preserves Jerusalem's prestige and identity in the face of the Judaization plan.

Since Monday morning, Israeli bulldozers have demolished several buildings at once in Wadi al-Homs, following the evacuation of residents. The Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday rejected a petition by the residents to compel the Israeli authorities to temporarily halt the demolition of their homes.

The Israeli authorities claim that the buildings are built without a permit in an area where construction is prohibited, but the Palestinian Authority asserts that the owners of the houses received building permits from the Palestinian authorities as the construction area is under Palestinian civil responsibility.

The bulk of the town of Sur Baher lies within the boundaries of the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem, but a large part of its territory, including the demolition area, lies within the boundaries of the West Bank and its lands are classified as A and B.

Area A is under full Palestinian control, and Area B is under Palestinian civilian and security control.

The West Bank - according to the Oslo agreement - is divided into three areas: (a), (b) and (c), where Area C is under full Israeli control.