AMMAN — The Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs has condemned the sharp rise in Israeli house demolitions in occupied Jerusalem, calling the practice a violation of fundamental human rights designed to alter the city’s demographic landscape.

 

Committee Secretary-General Abdullah Kanaan highlighted the severe hardship inflicted on Jerusalemites, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

 

He cited the recent forced eviction of residents in the Wadi Qaddoum neighbourhood of Silwan ahead of impending site destructions.

 

Kanaan noted that self-demolition policies compel homeowners to either dismantle their own properties or pay exorbitant fees for municipal demolition crews.

 

These coercive measures specifically aim to undermine Palestinian resilience in strategic neighbourhoods surrounding Al Aqsa Mosque.

 

Warning over the rising frequency of demolitions across the occupied Palestinian territories, Kanaan cited committee data showing that 3,917 housing units have been destroyed in Jerusalem between 1967 through October 1.

 

He urged immediate international action to hold the Israeli authorities accountable under international law and provide effective protection for Palestinian residents.

 

Kanaan stressed that Jerusalem represents a vital national, historical, and civilisational cause deeply linked to Palestinian rights and the preservation of the city’s identity.

 

He reiterated that the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites remains a historic responsibility to safeguard its legal status quo and support an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital under the two state solution.