JERUSALEM, December 28, 2024 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities forced a Palestinian man to demolish his own home on Saturday in the neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukaber, occupied Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a permit.

The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate reported that the Israeli municipality compelled Ibrahim Mashahra, a Palestinian citizen of Jerusalem, to tear down his 70-square-meter home, which shelters his family of six.

Mashahra confirmed to WAFA that the municipality had issued him a demolition order on December 4, giving him a three-week deadline to demolish his home voluntarily.

Israeli occupation authorities regularly pressure Palestinian residents in Jerusalem to demolish their own homes due to the lack of building permits, which are almost impossible to obtain. If residents refuse, Israeli bulldozers demolish the homes, and owners are often forced to pay the heavy costs of the demolition.

The Israeli municipality has consistently denied Palestinian residents in Jerusalem permits to build, forcing many to either demolish their homes or face destruction at the hands of Israeli forces.

This practice violates international law and human rights, including the right to housing, and is part of Israel's ongoing policy of displacement aimed at expanding settlements in Jerusalem and its surroundings.

The Jerusalem Governorate's report on Israeli violations in November 2024 documented 36 demolitions and destructions, including seven cases of self-demolition and 28 demolitions carried out by Israeli forces, as well as one land leveling operation. This brings the total number of demolitions and destructions in the Jerusalem governorate since October 7, 2023, to 391.

M.N