Israel steps up demolitions in occupied East Jerusalem, breaches separation wall

The Palestinian statement said Israeli forces began demolishing structures along Airport Road on the pretext of building without permits.

The raid took place during peak hours as students and children were heading to school, causing tension and confusion amid heavy deployment of Israeli military vehicles and the closure of main and side roads, the governorate said.

Repeated incursions

Areas north of occupied East Jerusalem, particularly around the Qalandiya refugee camp, have seen repeated Israeli incursions involving road closures and raids, directly affecting daily life for Palestinians, especially students and workers.

East Jerusalem is surrounded by a wall of concrete and barbed wire, most of which was built on occupied West Bank land. The wall rises more than 8 metres high and stretches about 202 kilometres, according to the Israeli rights group B’Tselem.

Israel claims it built the wall for security reasons, while Palestinians and the United Nations say it is part of a plan to annex Palestinian land.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an advisory opinion in 2024 declaring the wall illegal because it was built on occupied Palestinian territory.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces and illegal settlers have intensified attacks in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, killing more than 1,000 people and injuring hundreds. The violations also included home demolitions, displacement and settlement expansion.

Palestinians say these actions pave the way for Israel to formally annex the occupied West Bank, which would end the possibility of a two-state solution envisioned in UN resolutions.