Palestinians outraged at Israeli massive house demolitions in East Jerusalem

Palestinians were outraged after Israeli forces began a massive house demolition of 10 Palestinian residential buildings in Wadi Al-Hummos area of East Jerusalem's Sur Baher town on Monday.

This picture taken from the West Bank on July 22, 2019 shows Palestinians looking at Israeli security forces tearing down one of the Palestinian buildings still under construction which have been issued notices to be demolished in the Wadi al-Hummus area adjacent to the Palestinian village of Sur Baher in East Jerusalem. [Photo: VCG/Hazem Bader]

"The leadership is putting a plan on how to annul all agreements with the Israeli side," said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, in response to the Israeli demolition.

According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the international community "to immediately intervene to stop this aggression against the Palestinian people."

Abbas also considered the Israeli move as "part of the plan to implement the so-called 'Deal of the Century,' which aims to liquidate the Palestinian issue."

Israeli authorities said the buildings were built without permits near Israel's separation barrier, displacing at least three Palestinian families of 17 people including nine children.

At the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting in West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye told reporters that Israel has cancelled classification of Palestinian areas by creating facts against international law and agreements.

"President Mahmoud Abbas has instructed Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki to add this criminal act to the file we submitted to the International Criminal Court," Ishtaye said.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it is seeking international measures that would hold Israel accountable for its "crimes in Jerusalem."

Under the interim Oslo Agreement signed between the PLO and the Israeli government in 1993, the West Bank was divided into three areas: the area (A) under Palestinian control, the area (B) under Palestinian and Israeli control and the area (C) under full Israeli control.

The majority of the demolished buildings are located in area (A) which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority and in area (B) which is under the joint control of Israel and Palestine. Only two are located in area (C).

The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state, while Israel wants all Jerusalem to be its eternal capital.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and declared the entire Jerusalem city as its eternal indivisible capital in 1980, a move that has never been recognized by the international community.