Some 340 thousand Palestinians live in the area along with nearly 220 thousand Israeli settlers established in large settlements, the expert said in an interview with the Safa news agency.

Ever since the occupation, the Israeli authorities have confiscated over three thousand properties from Arab inhabitants in Eastern Jerusalem, and expelled numerous residents allowing more settlers in, he stressed.

Abu Diab said this policy particularly affects the Palestinian neighborhoods of Al-Sharaf, Silwan, and Sheikh Jarrah.

The occupation government approved the construction of 13 thousand new housing units for Jewish settlers this year.

According to Abu Diab, over 20 thousand inhabitants of Eastern Jerusalem lost their residence permits since 1967, and 3124 Palestinian houses were demolished, and another 615 were destroyed by their owners on Israeli orders.

22,416 Palestinian houses are under threat of demolition due to the pretext of being built without permits, although Israel never grants this kind of authorization, the expert said.

Eighty-seven percent of the area has been classified as “green lands”, which prohibits Arabs from building there, unlike Israelis.

Ninety-seven percent of requests for construction permits presented by Arabs are rejected, while 99 percent of requests by Jews are granted, he stressed.

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