JERUSALEM, May 19, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities forced three Palestinian families on Monday evening to demolish their own homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Sur Baher and Wadi al-Joz.

Osama Dabash, one of the affected homeowners, told the Jerusalem Governorate: "We are being forced to demolish our home with our own hands following an order from the occupation authorities to do so within two weeks."

He added that he had been living in the house for 45 years and was forced to tear down part of it under the pretext that it was built without a permit. “This has caused us immense psychological distress,” he said. "We are around 32 people, and as a result of the demolition, my brother and nephew had to leave the house and search for alternative shelter."

In a related incident, the Israeli municipality forced another Jerusalemite resident from Wadi al-Joz to demolish his own home, where five family members had been living. The demolition rendered the family homeless.

The Israeli occupation continues its efforts to displace Palestinian families and empty the holy city of its indigenous Palestinian residents.

Palestinians in East Jerusalem find themselves compelled to tear down their homes after receiving a demolition order to avoid paying exorbitant costs to the Israeli municipality if it carries out the demolition.

Palestinians say they are forced to build without permits because the Israeli municipality discriminates against them and refuses to issue permits or places unreasonable conditions that they cannot afford to issue a permit.

At the same time, thousands of housing units are built for Jewish settlers in the city on appropriated Palestinian lands and are made easily accessible to them.

T.R.