Israeli forces have demolished a four-stroy building currently under construction the neighborhood of Issawiya in occupied East Jerusalem, despite the Palestinian owner having a scheduled meeting with Israeli authorities to postpone the demolition.
Israeli forces stormed the area at around 4 a.m. and began razing the building to the ground with four bulldozers, Ma’an news reports.

Construction of the four-floor building started about a year ago. According to one member of the Issawiya follow-up committee Muhammad Abu al-Hummus, the family of the home repeatedly attempted to obtain a construction license from the municipality but were refused.

Israel has demolished homes in the Occupied Territories on an unprecedented scale, with housing demolitions implemented for "military need," demolition of houses built without permits, and the demolition of houses as punishment.

According to UNOCHA, Israel demolished a record 1,093 structures in the occupied Palestinian territory in 2016, including 190 in East Jerusalem, displacing 1,601 Palestinians.