The Israeli government has resumed destroying Palestinian homes after a brief freeze. On Tuesday, Israeli bulldozers razed six Palestinian-owned buildings in Jerusalem, including three homes. Israel had informally suspended the demolitions in October following criticism from the United States. The resumed demolitions come just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from the United States after meeting President Obama at the White House. Obama had praised Netanyahu during the talks, saying the Israeli government has shown “restraint.” Standing outside of her demolished home, Jerusalem resident Linda al-Rajabi said she and her five children were forced out with no advance warning.
Linda al-Rajabi: “They emptied the house. They made me take out everything. And then, as you see, they demolished the house without giving a warning or anything. They can build 600 settlements, but I am in a shack made from asbestos, and they demolish it. All I have is children, five small ones, and their father, who sometimes works and sometimes does not.”
The demolitions coincided with the Israeli government’s approval of plans to build thirty-two new settlement homes in East Jerusalem.