JERUSALEM, December 6, 2016 (WAFA) – Staff from the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem Tuesday demolished two Palestinian-owned homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan under the pretext of construction without a permit, according to local sources.

They said municipality workers accompanied by bulldozers demolished the 300-square-meter building housing the residences of Said Abbasi and his brother.

Abbasi had actually started to tear down the building on Saturday after the municipality had warned him and his brother that if they do not demolish it alone, the municipality would do that and make them pay exorbitant costs.

Nonetheless, the municipality came there and demolished what was left of the building.

The two homes were shelter to 12 members of the Abbasi families.

The municipality rarely gives building permits for Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents forcing many to build without a permit.

M.N./M.K.