The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) in Jerusalem on Sunday evening forced a Palestinian citizen to demolish his commercial facility in Silwan district south of the Aqsa Mosque at the pretext of unlicenced construction.
According to Wadi Hilweh Information Center Ma’mun Jalal had to knock down his own commercial property with his own hand to avoid paying demolition expenses to the Israeli municipality.
Jalal was handed an administrative demolition order by employees from the municipality.
Palestinians of occupied east Jerusalem are forced to demolish their own homes upon orders by the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem to avoid paying exorbitant demolition fees.
For Palestinians obtaining construction permits are prohibitively expensive and goes through bureaucratic and difficult processes. Many Palestinians have no choice but to build their own homes with no permits even with the threat of demolition hanging over their heads.
Rather than paying the high costs of fighting demolition orders in court or paying the fines incurred when Israeli crews pull down their homes or structures Palestinian families are making the difficult choice to do the demolitions themselves. As a result many have been made homeless or pushed away from the city center. Others have chosen to remain in the ruins of their properties.
Since east Jerusalem was occupied Israel has forced thousands of Palestinians from their homes carried out massive property demolitions and created a serious housing shortage as part of other practices aimed at Judaizing the holy city.
