Pictures- Ajloni family self-demolishes its home in the Old City of Jerusalem
Shadi Ajloni and his brother Fadi demolished on Saturday their own home in the Old City of Jerusalem, in response to a decision by the Israeli municipality to avoid paying "demolition fees and fines" to the municipality.
Shadi Ajlouni explained that the occupation municipality issued a decision to demolish the apartment, where he and his brother Fadi live, with an area of about 40 square meters. The family has until the end of this month to carry out the demolition, otherwise municipal crews will demolish it on the owners’ expense, in addition to imposing a fine on them.
Ajlouni added that the house was built two years ago from the "reinforced plaster, bricks and tin plates", on the roof of the family’s residential building. It ison the third floor and consists of two rooms only and a kitchen, where 8 people live, half of them children.
Ajlouni explained that the municipal crews and police stormed the house after they had moved in it, and demanded to demolish it. After deliberations, they demanded that it be closed and not used, and that the "staircase leading to it" be closed.
In addition to demolishing the apartment, the family will demolish a balcony on the second floor that is used as a "bedroom and a laundry room" under the pretext of building without a permit and has been in existence for years.
