For the second time…demolishing 3 houses for Shkeirat family and displacing 11 individuals
Shkeirat family self-demolished 3 of their homes in the village of Jabal Al-Mukabber, south of Jerusalem, following a decision by the occupationmunicipality, to avoid paying fines and demolition fees for the municipality’s crews and the forces accompanying them.
The houses belong to the brothers Muntaser and Amin Shkeirat, and their mother, and house 11 people, including children.
Muntaser Shkeirat explained that the family built the houses late last year, immediately after the demolition of their three homes, which was only a few meters away from the new construction site.
Shkeirat said: “We were unable to rent new homes for us when the municipality carried out the demolition in late 2019. We did not find 3 apartments to house 3 families ... not to mention the high rents, so we built houses from reinforced sheets, knowing that the total area of the building amounted to 160 square meters, and we divided it into three apartments."
Shkeirat added: “Two weeks ago, the municipality raided the place, and we received a demolition notice on the pretext of building without a permit. We headed to the lawyer to starting the licensing procedures, only to be surprised by the police telling us to implement the demolition within a week. The police came last Monday and asked us to immediately start the demolition, otherwise the municipality will do so. I also told the police that the municipality had not issued a demolition order,and only handed the family a notice of unlicensed construction.”
Muntaser Shkeirat explained that the families had built and lived in their first homes in 2015, and the court imposed on them an "unauthorized building" violation of 110,000 shekels, and despite the obligation to pay the violation, the homes were demolished.
