On Tuesday afternoon, Israeli occupation authorities forced Palestinian citizen Sobhiyya Shqeirat to carry out the self-demolition of her home in the Jabal al-Mukaber neighborhood, southeast of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank, under the pretext of building without a permit.
According to media reports, Shqeirat was compelled to demolish her home to avoid paying exorbitant fines and demolition fees imposed by the Israeli municipality. She received an administrative order granting only a few days to complete the demolition herself.
The residence, which measured approximately 55 square meters and had stood for more than 12 years, sheltered a family of five.
Israeli authorities continue to impose self-demolition orders on Palestinian residents of Jerusalem as part of a demographic and displacement strategy aimed at removing Palestinians from the city to serve colonial expansion goals.
Those who refuse to demolish their homes face imprisonment, and are forced to pay demolition fees and hefty fines if the municipality carries out the demolition using its workers and equipment.
A week ago, Monday, Israeli occupation forces demolished two Palestinian homes in the village of Marah Ma’alla, south of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.
While Israel continues to build and expand its illegal colonies, Palestinian communities and towns in occupied Jerusalem and various areas in the occupied West Bank continue to be denied the right to build homes and property under various allegations meant to prevent the expansion of Palestinian towns and neighborhoods.
All of Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention in addition to various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
