JERUSALEM, November 13, 2016 (WAFA) – The Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem forced Monday two Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem to demolish their shops - one for building material and the other for selling vegetables - with their own hands under the pretext of building without permit.
Osama Ghaith, who owned the building material shop in Beit Hanina neighborhood, north of Jerusalem, said he was compelled to demolish his store with his own hands because otherwise he would have to pay exorbitant amounts if the municipality carried out the demolition itself.
Ghaith added that the demolition had left 15 families of 100 members who lived from income from the shop to lose their only source of livelihood.
He said the store was built eight years ago and he had often sought a construction permit but with no result.
The demolitions comes only a day after Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian from Jabal al-Mukabbir neighborhood in the city to demolish his two apartments under the pretext of being built without a permit.
Israel rarely grants Palestinians permits to build in East Jerusalem forcing many to build without permit.
M.N./M.A.
