Israel demolished three houses on Monday in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of construction without a permit.
The Israeli move violates the Aqaba understandings, which stipulated the cessation of unilateral measures, which the Palestinians limited to storming the Palestinian Authority (PA) areas, demolishing Jerusalem homes, building settlements, and deducting tax funds. Israel did not commit to any of the demands.
Israeli forces stormed the Palestinian neighborhood, cordoned off the area, and ordered the residents of the two houses belonging to the Totah family to evacuate them in preparation for their demolition.
Yahya Totah, the owner of one of the houses, said that the Israeli municipality demolished several of the family's homes in the same area since 2015. He said 150 square meters of the building housing 20 members of his family were destroyed.
Several attempts to get a license for building the houses have gone in vain. The Israeli municipality refused to grant them a permit under the pretext that they were built on land where construction is banned.
Israeli law enforcement forces plan to evacuate six other Palestinian families from their homes in Jerusalem this month, which Israeli media described as "an unprecedented record number in one month."
Ynet quoted observers warning that enforcing eviction orders could raise tensions and lead to riots and confrontations ahead of Ramadan and Jewish Passover.
The Salem family, consisting of three generations and four young children in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, also faces eviction.
Last year, the family petitioned the Magistrate's Court in Jerusalem, which ruled in their favor, before referring the case to the Execution and Collection Authority for further investigation and holding another session on March 9 to decide on the issue of demolition.
If the enforcement authority decides to rule in favor of the real estate owners, the eviction is expected to occur this month.
The evictions are carried out based on an Israeli law called the Legal and Administrative Arrangements Law, according to which Jewish families who owned property and lands in East Jerusalem before 1948 can claim their ownership.
Ynet stated that the eviction of Jerusalemite families was taking place at the request of settlement companies and Jewish families, claiming they owned these properties before the Nakba in 1948.
The newspaper warned that upcoming evictions pose a significant indication of escalation.
Israel has a list of dozens of homes for demolition or eviction over the next few months, under pressure from the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who launched a campaign to demolish the homes of Arab Jerusalemites in response to Palestinian operations in the city.
Kan radio station reported that Ben-Gvir ordered the demolition of houses during Ramadan, although Israel did not carry out home demolitions during Ramadan in the past years to avoid tension with the Palestinians.
The Minister's instructions come in defiance of the Palestinians, the international community, and even Israeli security officials, who warned him against going too far with his campaign and called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop it.
Kan said Ben-Gvir ignored the warnings and demanded the police implement his policy.
It remains to be seen whether Netanyahu could control Ben-Gvir's plans.
The Palestinian Authority warned that the Minister's plans would fuel tension.
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the Ben-Gvir decision, claiming he plans to incite hate and violence in the region and are part of a plan to "Judaize Jerusalem," aiming to limit the Palestinian presence and impose Israeli control over the city, its churches, and its mosques, namely al-Aqsa Mosque.
