Palestinian forced to tear down his own building south of Jerusalem

Israeli occupation authorities today forced a Palestinian to demolish his own residential building in the town of Jabal Mukaber, south of occupied Jerusalem, according to a local source.

Atta Shqairat said that he was forced by the occupation authorities to tear down his 6-storey building, with an area of 580-square-meter, purportedly for being built without a license, leaving 50 people homeless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He added that attempts to obtain a license over the past years did not help him, particularly after the occupation court issued a demolition decision against the building in 2007.

He added that he had carried out the demolition of his house to avoid paying exorbitant fines should the occupation municipality of Jerusalem demolish the structure on its own.

He further said that he had to carry out the demolition himself in order to avoid the destruction that would cause following the demolition of the building.

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.

Atta Shqairat revealed that he was forced to tear down his six-storey building, which spans 580 square meters, due to claims that it was built without the necessary permits. This demolition has rendered 50 people homeless.

Shqairat recounted his long struggle to obtain a building license, a process that began years ago but proved futile, especially after the occupation court issued a demolition order in 2007. Despite his efforts, the demolition decision stood firm, leaving him no choice but to dismantle the building himself.

To avoid paying exorbitant fines that would be imposed if the Jerusalem occupation municipality carried out the demolition, Shqairat undertook the heart-wrenching task himself. He explained that self-demolition was also necessary to prevent the extensive damage that would likely result from the municipality’s demolition methods.

This incident is part of a broader pattern where Israel frequently demolishes Palestinian homes under the pretext of illegal construction, a tactic used to limit Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the occupation municipality and the Israeli government continue to construct tens of thousands of housing units in illegal colonies in East Jerusalem, aimed at altering the demographic balance in favor of Jewish settlers in the occupied city. cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn cvn

The forced demolition highlights the ongoing struggles faced by Palestinian families in securing and maintaining their homes in occupied Jerusalem. The situation underscores the broader issue of housing rights and the impact of occupation policies on Palestinian communities.

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