The European Union “condemned” Thursday the demolition by Israel of the house of a Palestinian activist in East Jerusalem, a sector of the holy city annexed by Israel, denouncing “a violation of international humanitarian law”.
Fakhri Abou Diab, engaged for years against the demolitions of Palestinian houses, announced that “agents of the Israeli forces” had demolished the house he had lived in for 38 years near the old city on Wednesday morning.
Part of the house dated before 1967, when Israel annexed East Jerusalem, home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites.
“The EU condemns the demolition of the house of community leader Fakhri Abou Diab in East Jerusalem, where his family had resided for generations,” said a spokesperson for the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell.
“Such acts constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and undermine efforts to promote lasting peace and security,” she added.
“We urge Israel to stop demolishing Palestinian homes, including in this sensitive area adjacent to the Old City. The priority must be for everyone to defuse a very tense situation,” insisted this spokesperson in a press release.
The United States also condemned this demolition on Wednesday, saying such actions “harm Israel’s image in the world”.
“It is an act of revenge, a campaign by the Israelis against the Palestinians of Jerusalem, which has only become more pronounced since October 7,” said Fakhri Abou Diab, now saying he was “literally on the street.” with her family.
On October 7, Hamas members infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip, a territory then under Israeli blockade. This unprecedented attack resulted in the deaths of 1,160 people, most of them civilians, and 250 others were taken hostage.
Since then, Israel has waged a devastating military campaign in Gaza, killing more than 28,600 people, mainly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.
This article is originally published on lorientlejour.com
