JERUSALEM, July 15, 2026 (WAFA) - The Israeli occupation authorities on Wednesday ordered a Palestinian to self-demolish part of his home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, according to the homeowner.
Mohammed Al-Abbasi said that he was forced to self-demolish a portion of his home in the Al-Ain neighborhood of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, purportedly for unlicensed building.
He added that he tore down approximately 25-square-meter section of his home, which sheltered three of his children, effectively displacing them from the space that had served as their living area within the family home.
He explained that the demolition order came after lengthy legal proceedings lasting about 14 years, which ended with a final decision requiring the demolition of the section for unlicensed building.
He added that throughout those years he moved between courts and offices of the Israeli municipality in an effort to prevent the demolition or secure a legal settlement. However, all attempts eventually reached a dead end, leaving him no choice but to carry out the demolition himself to avoid the heavy fines and financial costs that the municipality imposes should it carry out the demolition.
Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses regularly to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.
At the same time, the occupation municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal colonies in East Jerusalem for Jews to offset the demographic balance in favour of the Jewish colonists in the occupied city.
Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.
They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel's separation wall.
According to a report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, the Israeli occupation High Court could be liable for war crimes for their policies that led to the dispossession of Palestinians from their properties in Area C of the West Bank.
The report, Fake Justice, shows that the court’s support of Israeli planning policy is tantamount to support for dispossession and forcible transfer of Palestinians, a war crime under international law.
A.D./ K.F.
