Ramallah, July 13 (Petra) – Israeli occupation forces are escalating their violations in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem on Monday, conducting widespread raids, issuing stop-work orders, forcing Palestinians to demolish their own homes, seizing land and carrying out arrest campaigns.

In the town of Al Khader, south of occupied Bethlehem, Israeli occupation forces issued stop-work orders for several Palestinian homes and structures after raiding the town and opening fire, according to Mahmoud Abdullah Issa, a member of the Al Khader Municipal Council.

In occupied Jerusalem, Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian resident to demolish his own home in the town of Umm Tuba under the threat of demolition by the Israeli municipality and a fine of up to USD26,45.

The house was home to a family of seven, who were left homeless. The demolition was carried out under the self-demolition policy imposed by the Israeli authorities on Palestinian residents of Jerusalem.

Separately, Israeli occupation forces launched raids across several areas of the occupied West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, triggering clashes that left several Palestinians injured and others suffering from tear gas inhalation.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club said Israeli forces arrested 14 Palestinians after raiding their homes and subjecting them to field interrogations before transferring them to Israeli interrogation centres.

In a separate development, crews from the Israeli municipality entered the Al Bustan neighbourhood in Silwan, south of Al Aqsa Mosque and posted a temporary land seizure order covering approximately 4.7 dunams belonging to the Al Taweel family.

The measure is a preliminary step toward converting the land into a public space as part of the planned "King's Garden" project, which Israeli authorities say is based on biblical heritage sites.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Centre said the Al Bustan neighbourhood has faced years of demolition and displacement campaigns targeting Palestinian residents, amid the continued refusal by Israeli authorities to issue building permits for local residents.

//Petra// AK