JERUSALEM, February 7, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli forces forced on Saturday a Palestinian resident to demolish his own home in the town of Beit Hanina, north of occupied Jerusalem.
According to local sources, Israeli authorities compelled Jerusalemite resident Majed al-Salaymeh to self-demolish his home in the al-Ashqariya neighborhood of the town. The house, which had been standing for eight years, was home to four people.
The authorities claimed the home was built without a permit and also imposed fines exceeding 100,000 shekels.
Israeli authorities routinely and deliberately force Palestinian residents, particularly in Jerusalem, to demolish their own homes under the pretext of lacking permits. Those who refuse to comply face demolition by Israeli bulldozers, who then impose exorbitant costs on the homeowners.
The Israeli municipality in Jerusalem refuses to grant Palestinians building permits. This practice violates international law and humanitarian principles that guarantee the right to housing. These violations are part of the occupation's systematic practices of forcibly displacing Palestinians from Jerusalem in exchange for expanding colonies in and around the city.
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