Israel Demolishes Palestinian Shops in West Bank for Road Project

Israeli bulldozers demolished dozens of Palestinian-owned shops this week on the outskirts of al-Eizariya, a town southeast of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, to clear land for a road project authorities say will benefit local Palestinian communities.

The demolitions occurred on Tuesday, less than a week after some shop owners received evacuation notices for structures built without permits. Despite appeals by attorneys to Israel's Supreme Court, the action proceeded. Israeli authorities, including the military's COGAT unit that oversees civilian affairs in the West Bank, stated the shops, which included car washes, scrap metal operations and vegetable stands, were constructed illegally and had blocked sidewalks and roads leading into the town. Owners had received warnings for several years that enforcement was imminent. COGAT said the structures obstructed a planned road intended to connect Palestinian towns, alleviate congestion and improve quality of life in the area.

Palestinian officials and rights groups described the demolitions as part of a larger Israeli transportation overhaul in the strategic E1 zone of the West Bank. They contend the new road will divert...