Israeli occupation forces ordered on Saturday a Palestinian native of Fureidis village, to the east of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, to tear down his own house and an animal barn of his own.

Mahmoud al-Bahsh told reporters that the Israeli occupation army informed him that should he not proceed with the demolition on his own, the army would carry out the demolition and compel him to pay the expense of the demolition process.

He added that the occupation authorities also asked him to demolish a livestock barn of his own under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

Palestinians in Area C of the occupied West Bank – territories that under the Oslo Accords are under full Israeli control – have great difficulty getting building permits. Most Palestinian communities do not have master plans, while others cannot get expansion plans approved.

The building permits are charged at extortionate prices and are unaffordable for most Palestinians, creating a legal loophole for Israel to annex more land and leave Palestinians in limbo by preventing them from developing infrastructure.