Israeli occupation authorities on Sunday forced a Palestinian citizen to demolish his own house in the neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabbir in occupied Jerusalem, under the pretext of lacking a construction permit, according to local sources.

Amer Shkerat, a citizen of Jabal al-Mukabbir, embarked on tearing down his own house in the neighborhood to avoid paying exorbitant costs if the Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality carries out the demolition on its own, reported Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes Palestinian houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.

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

Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, 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.