Two Palestinians were forced on Wednesday to demolish their homes in the occupied West Bank to avoid paying exorbitant costs if the West Jerusalem municipality demolishes them.
Mousa Bashir and Ammar Nassar, from Jabal al-Mokabber neighborhood, south of occupied East Jerusalem, received demolition orders with a deadline from the West Jerusalem municipality for construction without a permit.
Both decided to take down their homes to avoid paying high fees set by the municipality if it carried out the demolition process.
Palestinians suffer to fulfill the complex procedures required by the occupation’s municipality in exchange for granting them building permits, which require years and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
The occupation’s municipality distributed on Wednesday demolition orders to facilities in al-Issawiya and Jabal al-Mukabir, on the pretext of building without a permit.
The Issawiya Follow-up Committee explained that the occupation municipality stormed the neighborhood and distributed demolition orders issued by the Municipal Court for more than five houses, and some orders come into effect after 20 days.
The orders targeted residential floors in buildings, the committee noted, adding that the municipality staff took photos for several residential installations, including houses and buildings, and targeted activists and committee members in the town.
Last year there was an increase in the number of buildings demolished.
According to the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem), Israel demolished a record number of homes in East Jerusalem in 2019, also setting a record for homes demolished by their own owners on Israel’s orders.
Source: Al-awsat
