The Jerusalem neighborhood of Kafr Aqab. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The Jerusalem District Court issued an order to freeze the planned demolition of illegal structures in an Arab neighborhood in the northernmost part of the Israeli capital.

Six illegally constructed high-rise apartment buildings in the neighborhood of Kafr Aqab had been set for demolition by the Jerusalem Municipality. The court order was issued after residents of the neighborhood filed an appeal to prevent the demolition.

The court ordered the municipality to issue a response to the appeal by the end of Jan. 2018, and a discussion on the issue is scheduled to take place Feb. 28.

While Kafr Aqab is under full Israeli sovereignty, it is located on the opposite side of Israel’s security fence along the border with the disputed territories, and is difficult for Israeli authorities to access. Due to the neighborhood’s location, illegal construction in Kafr Aqab is commonplace.

The six apartment buildings that were slated for demolition were built without any official approval from the Jerusalem Municipality. A new highway was slated to be constructed in the area following the planned demolition.