JERUSALEM, June 7, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities on Sunday forced two brothers from the town of At-Tur in occupied Jerusalem to self-demolish their residential building, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.

The governorate said the building, constructed in 2000, had been subject to repeated fines over the years. The owners were given a deadline until 26 June 2026 to carry out the demolition themselves, in order to avoid high demolition costs and additional financial penalties if carried out by Israeli municipal authorities.

Israeli authorities frequently force Palestinian citizens, particularly in occupied Jerusalem, to demolish their own homes under the pretext of lacking building permits. Those who refuse face demolition by Israeli bulldozers and are subsequently charged high demolition fees.

The Israeli municipality in Jerusalem routinely denies Palestinians building permits, while demolishing homes or forcing residents to demolish them themselves. 

Such practices violate international law and humanitarian principles that guarantee the right to housing and are part of a systematic policy aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from Jerusalem, alongside the expansion of Israeli colonies in and around the city.

M.N