JERUSALEM, July 31, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli authorities Sunday forced a Palestinian to demolish his privately-owned house in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Thawri, under the pretext of being built without an Israeli-issued permit, according to the house owner.

The owner, Waleed Shwaiki, told WAFA Israeli authorities forced him to demolish his 40-square-meter house or else the municipality will demolish it and obligate him to pay the costs, which exceeds 100 thousand Shekels (approximately 26 thousand Dollars).

He said that the so-called West Jerusalem municipality have previously handed him a demolition notice for his home, noting that the house has been built almost two years ago.

He stressed that the Israeli occupation have put him in a very difficult position by forcing him to demolish his own home, which he has built with his own hands. However, he maintained that he would rather demolish his own home than feed the occupation’s funds.

He stressed that the demolition of his home has led to the dispersion of his family; Shwaiki’s pregnant wife would have to live at her family’s home, whereas he, along with his five-year-old daughter, would have to stay at his family’s home.

To be noted, since the beginning of 2016, the Israeli occupation authorities have demolished more than 85 residential and commercial structures in Jerusalem, as well as  notified for the demolition of around 20 thousand homes, citing the same afore-mentioned pretext.

According to data compiled by B’Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, in the first half of 2016, Israeli authorities demolished more homes in the West Bank than in the entire previous year of 2015.

T.R.