Jerusalem: Israeli occupation authorities on Friday forced a Palestinian woman to demolish her own home in the al-Suweih neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Governorate reported that Awatif Mahmoud al-Ghoul was compelled to take down her house to avoid incurring heavy fines and costs that would be imposed by the municipality if the demolition were conducted by its machinery. The authorities cited the lack of a building permit as the reason for the forced action.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, since the beginning of the year, more than 200 homes and structures in Jerusalem have been demolished or have had demolition forced upon them by Israeli authorities. The practice of requiring Palestinians to conduct self-demolitions is a regular occurrence, with authorities justifying the actions on the grounds of unlicensed construction. Palestinians who refuse to comply with these orders face forced demolitions by authorities and additional financial penalties.