Israel demolishes house in a Jerusalem neighborhood

Israeli municipality of Jerusalem Monday demolished a house that belongs to Palestinian family, Abu SSafa, in Beit Hanina, a neighborhood north of Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a permit, according to witnesses. They said that municipality workers accompanied by Israeli soldiers closed the area and a nearby street before the demolition of the house, which came as a prelude to opening a new high way (Road number 21) that will connect settlements in the north of the West Bank to Jerusalem and to the main high way (443) that connects Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. A family relative said that the 130 square meters home built 12 years ago houses two families of 12 members. He added that the two families were not home when they received a phone call from a neighbor telling them the house is being demolished. They hurried to the place to find their home a rubble pile without prior warnings. Residents of Bait-hanina are worried of future demolitions to open more roads.