Israeli authorities force Jerusalemite to demolish his own house

JERUSALEM: Israeli occupation authorities Wednesday forced a Palestinian citizen to self-demolish his house in the town of Al-Issawiya, north of occupied Jerusalem. Mohammad Obaid, a Jerusalemite citizen, said that he was forced to self-demolish his house after he was notified by the occupation municipality to demolish it immediately without prior notice, adding that the Israeli authorities gave him a day to carry out the demolition. He noted that he and his wife live in the house with an area not exceeding 30 square metres. Obaid stated that he began demolishing it himself to avoid fines in the event that the occupation municipality came and demolished the house. It is noteworthy that the occupation authorities force Palestinian citizens, especially in the occupied city of Jerusalem, to self-demolish their homes under the pretext of not having a permit, and whoever rejects, the occupation bulldozers demolish the house and impose exorbitant costs on the owner. The occupation municipality in Jerusalem ref uses to grant the Palestinians building permits, and demolishes or forces them to demolish their own homes, in a measure that contradicts international laws and humanitarian laws that guarantee the right to housing, within the framework of the Israeli systematic practices of forcibly displacing Palestinians from the city of Jerusalem, in exchange for expanding the settlements in the city and its surroundings. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA