Israel Orders Stop-work on Mosque in Bethlehem Area

Police placing the demolition order on the half-built mosque.

Bethlehem, 21 Rabiul Awwal 1438/21 December 2016 (MINA) – Israeli authorities Tuesday notified to stop construction on a mosque in the Fatih area to the southeast of Bethlehem under the pretext it was built without an Israeli-issued permit, according to a local activist.

Hasan Brijeh, coordinator of the anti-settlements and wall committee in Bethlehem, told WAFA that Israeli forces stormed the area of Fatih and left an order to stop the construction work on a mosque in the area.

He said construction work on the mosque began almost three years ago, noting that it was being built on Muslim endowment property.

The Jerusalem Legal Aid Center said the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem and the Israeli Interior Ministry have been issuing orders to destroy houses and facilities that belong to Palestinians and were built without a permit.

The Israeli authorities often refuse to grant building permits to Palestinians.

The civil administration in Area C in the West Bank executes these orders. In the rare cases where building is approved by the Israeli authorities, Palestinians are burdened by issuance fees, which may amount to 120,000 Israeli shekels ($32,000). (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)