JERUSALEM, The Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem today ordered a Palestinian family in Jabal al-Mukabber neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem to demolish its home under the pretext it was built without a permit, according to the house owner Mahmoud Shqeirat.

He said that he received an order to self-demolish a small makeshift apartment he had built seven years ago next to his house for his son to live in after his marriage but that the municipality has ordered them to self-demolish it after fining them $6,000 otherwise they will be compelled to pay the entire exaggerated costs of the demolition if done by the municipality.

He said he tried several times to get a permit and paid tens of thousands of dollars for that but was in the end denied one and order to tear down the apartment.

Palestinians in East Jerusalem say they are forced to build without a permit since getting one from an Israeli municipality that discriminates against them is almost impossible.

Source: Palestine News and Info Agency