JERUSALEM, A Palestinian citizen from the Old City of occupied Jerusalem embarked today on demolishing part of his own home after he was forced to do so by Israeli municipality to avoid paying exorbitant costs if the municipality carries out the demolition on its own.

WAFA correspondent said Othman Kaljawi was forced to demolish a room which he had annexed to his home after the Israeli municipality issued a demolition order against it under the pretext it was built without a permit. He added that the man had no choice but to demolish the room to avoid paying about $15,000 in demolition costs to the Israeli municipality.

Kaljawi told WAFA that he built the room four years ago in order to accommodate the growth of his 7-member family.

Palestinians in Jerusalem say they are forced to build without a permit because getting a building permit is impossible as the right-wing all-Israeli city council attempts to keep the city’s Palestinian population at a bare minimum while multiplying its Jewish residents by approving the construction of thousands of new housing units in Jewish settlements while denying Palestinians similar rights.

Almost 75 percent of applications for a permit by the Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem are rejected by the municipality, according to rights groups.

Source: Palestine News Agency