JERUSALEM, January 26, 2026 (WAFA) –Israeli occupation authorities forced a Palestinian citizen on Monday to demolish his own home in the East Jerusalem town of Silwan.

WAFA correspondent reported that the occupation forced Jerusalemite Jamal Ghaith to self-demolish his home in the Wadi Yasul neighborhood of Silwan, under the pretext of lacking an Israeli-issued building permit.

In a related context, occupation authorities handed Jerusalemite Mohammad Shokri Qweider a notice to demolish two of his homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan, as part of a systematic demolition policy targeting the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem.

These measures are part of an ongoing Israeli policy aimed at displacing Jerusalemites through demolition orders, inflated fines, and economic hardship, in an attempt to alter the demographic character of occupied Jerusalem.

Earlier this morning, occupation forces demolished Palestinian structures in the airport area near the Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem.

Under the pretext of building without a permit, which is rarely granted to Palestinians in the occupied city, the Israeli municipality has been demolishing or forcing Palestinians to demolish their own houses as part of a policy aimed to restrict Palestinian expansion and growth in occupied Jerusalem.

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.

A.D./T.R.