OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) forced two Jerusalemite brothers to demolish their own homes in Silwan district, south of the Aqsa Mosque, on Tuesday under the pretext of unlicensed construction.
According to the Jerusalem Governorate, Nader and Hatem Baydoun were forced to demolish their homes in al-Bustan neighborhood of the district.
10 individuals from the family, including women and children, lived in the two homes, which had been built in 1998 over an area of about 88 square meters.
Jerusalemite homeowners find themselves forced to demolish their homes at their own expense in order to avoid paying the Israeli municipality exorbitant money in fines and demolition expenses.
The rate at which Palestinian homes and structures are demolished in east Jerusalem has almost doubled since the start of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, human rights groups and monitoring organizations say.
The demolitions are ordered by the Israeli municipality, which claims that many Palestinian homes and structures are illegally built without permission.
All attempts by Palestinian families in east Jerusalem to apply for planning permission are rejected by the municipality. That means growing families say they have no choice but to build without permits and face the consequences, huge fines and demolition orders.
Last March, the municipality carried out demolition measures against 234 Palestinian homes and structures in the West Bank and Jerusalem, with 23 houses completely destroyed.
