OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) forced a Jerusalemite citizen to demolish his own house in Issawiya district on Saturday at the pretext of unlicensed construction.
According to local sources, the Israeli municipality forced a citizen from the family of Jadallah in the east Jerusalem district of Issawiya to knock down his house to avoid paying it an exorbitant amount of money in fines and demolition expenses.
Umm Samer Jadallah said that the house belonged to her young grandson, who had built it to live with his would-be wife, adding that the family tried to have the house licensed and prevent its demolition, but to no avail.
Last July, the IOA carried out 76 demolition measures against Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem. 10 owners of those houses were forced to carry out the measures at their own expenses.
The IOA also bulldozed Palestinian-owned lands in east Jerusalem four times during the same month.
Hundreds of Jerusalemite homes are threatened with demolition or appropriation as part of Israel’s Judaization plans in the occupied holy city.
The Jerusalemites have no choice but to build without licenses because there are no structural maps that respond to the natural increase in their numbers.
The IOA also imposes building restrictions on the Palestinian natives in east Jerusalem and makes it hard for them to obtain construction licenses.
Israel’s systematic demolition of Palestinian homes in the holy city is believed to be aimed at psychologically destroying the Jerusalemite families in an attempt to force them to move from the city.
