10 Palestinian homes demolished in Israeli city, prompting mayor to resign
Jan. 10, 2017 5:35 P.M. (Updated: Jan. 11, 2017 1:24 P.M.)
▻http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?ID=774848
QALANSAWE (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities demolished 10 homes belonging to Palestinian citizens of Israel in the city of Qalansawe in central Israel on Tuesday morning, prompting a defeated mayor to resign after Israeli authorities refused for decades to approve the city’s master plan.
Local sources told Ma’an the devastating demolition campaign sparked clashes between Israeli police and residents.
Mayor Abd al-Basit Mansour visited the area along with members of the municipal council and announced he would resign from his post, as Israeli bulldozers razed the homes to ground.
Mansour told reporters that, "We have been waiting for approval of a master plan for twenty years, but our request fell on deaf ears.”
“As head of the Qalansawe municipality, who doesn’t have the power to change anything, I decided to send my resignation to the ministry of interior.”
Dozens of locals crowded in the area in an attempt to prevent bulldozers from demolishing the structures, but Israeli police officers dispersed them.
One homeowner described the demolition as part of Israel’s policy of “oppression, injustices, and displacement.”
