JERUSALEM, Friday, February 11, 2022 (WAFA) – A Palestinian citizen from the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan embarked today on tearing down his own home after he was forced to do so by the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem to avoid paying exorbitant costs if the municipality carries out the demolition on its own.

Mahmoud Abu Diab told WAFA correspondent he was forced to demolish his own home under pressure from the Israeli municipality, under the pretext that it was built without a permit.

He said he had no choice but to demolish the home to avoid paying unreasonable demolition costs to the Israeli municipality.

Palestinians in Jerusalem frequently find themselves with no choice but to build without a permit because getting a building permit is impossible as the right-wing all-Israeli city council attempts to keep the city’s Palestinian population at a bare minimum while multiplying its Jewish residents.

Almost 75 percent of applications for a permit by the Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem are rejected by the municipality, forcing many households to build without obtaining a permit and risk their homes being demolished, according to rights groups.

M.N