3/13/2005 3:20:00 PM GMT
The Israeli authorities announced that there are some 20,000 Palestinian residential houses in the city of Jerusalem and its outskirts which they allege were built without licenses.
The announcement came as preparations were underway to demolish those homes, while a further 6,000 homes were also handed demolition notices.
Palestinians living in the holy city accused the Israeli Jerusalem municipality of imposing high taxes against them and allocating about 2 million dollar to demolish their homes.
The latest steps by Tel Aviv are seen by many as further steps taken against the Palestinian people and their lands in a bid to 'turn' the city of Jerusalem into a Jewish faith one rather than a multi-faith one.
Meanwhile, Israel's military chief said the Jewish state plans on building a temporary fence separating Jerusalem from the West Bank by July.
Israel says the structure is needed to protect its cities but the Palestinians say it's an illegal confiscation of land.
Adding even more fuel to the fire is the barrier's effects on commerce. Arab east Jerusalem is a commercial center for Palestinians. The fence will prevent thousands of people in the West Bank from reaching jobs, public services and holy sites.
The barrier's route in the Jerusalem area remains in dispute due to legal challenges filed by Israeli and Palestinian residents of border villages.
1500 Israeli violations
A legal data report states that the Israeli army has continuously violated the truce announced between the Palestinian resistance groups and the Israeli government. The report states that the violations committed have been continuously occurring for four weeks.
There were 1500 Israeli violations since the start of the truce, nearly a month ago, including the killing of 11 Palestinians and wounding 100 others, and the storming of many villages and cities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the report added.
More than 210 Palestinians were arrested, and Palestinian agricultural lands were confiscated, the report pointed out.
Another report records that more than 452 Israeli violations against the Palestinian people occurred resulting in the death of one Palestinian and the wounding of 23 others from February 28 until March 7 of this year.
These violations all occurred after Israel had announced that it will be committed to the truce reached during the Sham Al Sheikh summit last February.
On their part, the Palestinian resistance groups have repeatedly announced their commitment to the truce in order to further help the PA chief, Mahmoud Abbas.