Israel Municipality Continues to Demolish Palestinian Homes in Occupied Jerusalem

Israel Municipality Continues to Demolish Palestinian Homes in Occupied Jerusalem

A Palestinian father stands with his children in front of the ruins of their home in Silwan, East Jerusalem, after it was demolished by Israeli authorities, November 8, 2019 (Faiz Abu Rmeleh/Activestills.org).

The Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem demolished on Wednesday a house in Silwan neighborhood, on the southern limits of al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied Jerusalem, under the pretext of construction without a permit.

Palestinian news agency WAFA said that Israeli forces cordoned off Wadi Hilweh area of Silwan, where the house owned by Sultan Halisi is located, before the municipality staff proceeded to demolish the house.

Halisi said that he has been living in the 60-square-meter house with his wife and four children, the oldest of whom is 13 years old and the youngest six, since 2014.

Ever since, the Israeli municipality has been harassing him about building his house without a permit and fined him a payment of 35,000 Israeli shekels ($10,000).

He added that during the past year, the occupation authorities informed him to self-demolish the house but he refused to do so as he has no alternative shelter.

One day earlier, the Israeli municipality staff demolished sections of two Palestinian-owned buildings and completed the demolition of a third in occupied East Jerusalem neighborhoods, all under the pretext of construction without a permit, which Palestinians insist is almost impossible to get due to the municipality's discriminatory policy in Jerusalem in favor of Jewish settlers.

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