Israeli authorities demolish residential building in Arab-majority town of Kafr Qasim
LONDON: Israeli authorities demolished a residential building in the Arab-majority town of Kafr Qasim on Thursday, citing unlicensed construction. Palestinian citizens of Israel said the situation reflected an escalating housing crisis in their communities.
Arab towns in Israel have faced restrictions on the expansion of their municipal boundaries, forcing many residents to build homes to accommodate growing populations, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
This week, Israeli authorities also reactivated demolition orders for 14 buildings in the Arab village of Deir Al-Asad in the Galilee, with building permit violations as the stated reason.
The demolitions will affect dozens of families from Israel’s Arab minority; about 2.1 million Palestinians are citizens of Israel, 21 percent of the total population. Deir Al-Asad has more than 12,000 residents, while Kafr Qasim is home to 32,232 people.
