Demolitions escalate - the municipality forces a Jerusalemite to demolish his house in Beit Safafa
On Sunday, Ahmed Alayan self-demolished his house in the village of Beit Safafa, by a decision of the occupation municipality.
Ahmed Alayan explained that the municipality forced him to implement the decision to demolish his house, as its crews stormed the house last week and gave him several days to carry out the demolition, otherwise its mechanisms and crews will do so, and he has to pay the costs of the "demolition fee."
Alayan added that he built his house in 2014, and 3 building violations were imposed on him: 36,000 shekels, 18,000 shekels, and 22,000 shekels, during which he tried to license his house until all plans were suddenly rejected last week.
Alayan noted that when the municipality's crews stormed his house last week, they deliberately provoked him and the family, especially when one of them chanted, "Leave the land," and arrested two family members for objecting to this.
Alayan pointed out that 4 people live in the house, "he, his wife, his child and his mother."
The Israeli municipality escalated demolitions in Jerusalem during the past week. In Ein al-Lozeh neighborhood in Silwan, municipal vehicles demolished a 70-square-meter house belonging to Salah Zghayer, in which 6 people lived, including 4 children.
Zghayer pointed out that the municipality imposed on him a building violation worth 60,000 shekels.
In the Abbasiya neighborhood in Silwan, the municipality forced Khaled Shweiki to self-demolish his house, explaining that he lived in his house since 2017after it was built.
Shweiki explained that he tried for years to license his house and was able to postpone the demolition several times, and building violations worth 100,000 shekels were imposed on him, until the final demolition decision was issued.
Shweiki said he was forced to demolish his house with his own hands, to avoid paying "the demolition fee, which may reach 60,000 shekels."
In the town of Issawiya, the municipality forced the Mustafa family to self-demolish their apartment, after the "municipal, District and Supreme" courts refused to cancel demolition decisions and the apartment's license.
The family explained that the construction had been in place for two years, a “residential apartment ready for housing,” and last May the municipality’s mechanisms carried out the demolition of part of it and then the decision was put on hold.
Meanwhile, municipal vehicles demolished the “Al-Salam Hall” in Issawiya. Five families depended on the “hall” for their livelihood. The owners explained that the demolition was carried out without warning.
In Bab Hutta neighborhood in the Old City of Jerusalem, the municipality forced Othman Al-Jawi to demolish a 50-square-meter building addition.
