JERUSALEM, January 31, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities on Saturday forced a Palestinian to carry out the self-demolition of his home in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Governorate said that Israeli authorities compelled Jerusalemite Muhammad Atiya al-Razem to demolish his home in the Wadi Qaddum area of Silwan, claiming it was built without a permit, despite the fact that the house had stood for 26 years.
Israeli authorities routinely force Palestinian residents, particularly in occupied East Jerusalem, to demolish their own homes under the pretext of lacking permits. Those who refuse to comply face demolition by Israeli bulldozers and are subsequently charged exorbitant fees.
The Israeli municipality in Jerusalem refuses to grant Palestinians building permits and demolishes or forces them to demolish their homes, a practice that violates international law and humanitarian principles guaranteeing the right to housing. This is part of the occupation's systematic policy of forcibly displacing Palestinians from Jerusalem to expand settlements in and around the city.
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