Demolishing homes in Jerusalem and emptying others to avoid hefty fines
Home demolitions persist in Jerusalem, carried out by the Israeli municipality under the guise of constructing without permits. This coincides with more families being compelled to evacuate their homes in anticipation of self-demolition, thereby avoiding the "demolition costs" charged by the municipality for crews, equipment, and accompanying forces.
The Jerusalemite Mohammad Abdul Ra’ouf Abu Teir self-demolished his own 100-square-meter house, which had been occupied by seven people since 2014, to prevent further fines.
Meanwhile, brothers Mohammad Omar Mashahra and Abdullah Omar Mashahra were compelled to evacuate their homes as they were scheduled for demolition. Mohammad's 110-square-meter apartment, home to six people, had been existing since 2018. Similarly, Abdullah's 60-square-meter apartment, also built in 2018, faced the same fate.
The occupation municipality issues hefty fines claiming building without a permit as the reason. Meanwhile, Jerusalem residents argue that the licensing process is lengthy, complicated, and expensive, which nearly prevents obtaining a permit.
