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LONDON: Israeli authorities forced Taher Darbas, a Palestinian resident of occupied East Jerusalem, to demolish his home in Al-Issawiya, in the northeast of the city, on Monday morning.

Israeli authorities compel Palestinians, particularly in Jerusalem, to demolish their own homes by alleging that they lack proper permits. Those who refuse to comply face demolition carried out by Israeli authorities, incurring high costs.

Israel regularly denies building permits to Palestinians in Jerusalem, while illegally expanding Jewish settlements in the city and the occupied West Bank.

Also on Monday, Israeli forces knocked down a home in Furush Beit Dajan, a village to the east of Nablus, where more than 90 percent of homes are subject to demolition notices.

Meanwhile Israel continued to bulldoze land and pave a road for settlers in the eastern village of Al-Lubban, south of Nablus. They also demolished two houses belonging to the Abu Jaber family in the town of Marj Ghazal, north of Jericho, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

In the past 24 months, Israeli authorities have conducted 1,014 demolitions in the West Bank and Jerusalem, targeting 3,679 buildings, including 1,288 inhabited homes, 244 uninhabited homes and 962 agricultural and other structures, it said.

Israel’s home-demolition policies aim to forcibly displace Palestinians and expand Israeli settlements in Jerusalem, in violation of international and humanitarian laws that guarantee the right to housing, Wafa added.

The Israeli government faces charges of war crimes and genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.

BUDAPEST, Hungary: Israel will not allow Turkish troops to take part in an international peace force that the United States is seeking to create to oversee the ceasefire agreement in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Israel’s top diplomat said Monday.
The 20-point truce deal brokered by US President Donald Trump earlier this month envisages an international task force to monitor the ceasefire but does not mention which countries would provide the troops.
It only says the US would “work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force” that would deploy in Gaza. The force would train and provide support to “vetted Palestinian police forces” in Gaza, and will “consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field.”
The creation of the task force is currently underway, according US officials. But the second phase of the ceasefire agreement has not yet begun, Israeli officials said.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to Hungary, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel opposes the participation of Turkiye because of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's long-standing hostility to Israel. Saar said Israel has communicated its opposition to Turkiye’s military involvement to US officials.
“Countries that want or are ready to send armed forces should be at least fair to Israel,” Saar said. He did not elaborate.
US officials have said there would be no American boots on the ground in Gaza. During their visits to Israel last week, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said multiple countries would be interested in joining an international force that would deploy to Gaza and train a Palestinian police force for the future.
The US was working to secure a UN mandate or other international authorization for the force, Rubio said.
Turkiye is seen by many as a strong contender for the force due to military power its close ties with the Palestinian militant Hamas group that is supposed to disarm under the ceasefire deal. Turkiye also once had strong diplomatic relations with Israel, though they have been at an all-time low over the war in Gaza, sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Erdogan has criticized Israel, and particularly Netanyahu, with strident rhetoric since the start of the Gaza war, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, accusing Israel of genocide and comparing Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Hamas political officials regularly visit Turkiye, and Israel previously accused Turkiye of allowing Hamas to plan attacks from its territory, as well as carry out recruitment and fundraising.
Saar’s comments on Monday echoed remarks made by Netanyahu during a government meeting on Sunday.
“Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” Netanyahu said Sunday. “This is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well, as its most senior representatives have expressed in recent days.”
Earlier this month, Turkiye — one of the most active contributors of aid to Gaza — appointed a special coordinator to oversee humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Turkish organizations, including the Red Crescent and the emergency response agency AFAD, are making preparations toward reconstruction efforts, medical relief, and infrastructure restoration, officials said.