JERUSALEM, Israeli occupation authorities yesterday forced a Palestinian family to self-demolish their own house in the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, citing unpermitted construction as a pretext.

Witnesses told WAFA that members of Hadia family demolished their privately-owned house yesterday to avoid paying exorbitant fees if the Israeli municipality crews carried out the demolition on their own.

Owners say their house, which was inhabited by three households from the Palestinian family of Hadia, was built 12 years ago, and that throughout the past years they had been trying to get a construction permit from the Israeli municipality, all but in vain.

Using the pretext of building without a permit, which is rarely granted to Palestinians in the occupied city, the Israeli municipality has demolished or forced Palestinians to demolish hundreds of Palestinian-owned houses as part of a policy aimed to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.

At the same time, the municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews with the goal to offset the demographic balance in favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as “residents” whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.

They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel’s separation wall.

Source: Palestine News & Info Agency