Self-demolition continues in Jerusalem: Jerusalemites demolish their homes following municipal orders
"Self-demolition" operations continue in Jerusalem, where Palestinian residents have begun demolishing their own homes after the occupation municipality ordered them to do so, citing construction without a permit. Homeowners are forced to carry out the demolitions themselves rather than wait for municipal machinery.
In Silwan’s Ras al-Amoud neighborhood, Jerusalem resident Murad Ghaith began demolishing his home himself. It is on the upper floor of a two-story building owned by his family.
At the same time, the Ghaith family has been barred from living in the home on the building's ground floor, leaving them unable to use either of their dwellings in the structure.
In Sur Baher, southeast of Jerusalem, two Jerusalemite residents, Sabri Daoud and Sultan al-Hajj, also demolished their homes themselves after receiving orders from the occupation municipality citing construction without a permit.
Both homes were built in 2001. Since then, the municipality fined the owners before eventually issuing demolition orders.
Sabri Daoud’s home is approximately 70 square meters and houses 13 people, while Sultan al-Hajj and his wife occupy a home of about 40 square meters.
Daoud said his home was built in 2001 and that the municipality had fined him since construction began. After years of court proceedings and paying fines, a demolition order was issued, so he demolished the home himself. Jerusalemites continue to demolish their homes and structures themselves to avoid the municipality carrying out the demolition with its own machinery—and charging property owners the associated costs.
