Israeli occupation authorities forced a Palestinian family to demolish its home in Silwan, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem and issued evacuation and partial-demolition orders against three other homes before dawn Sunday.
The occupation authorities forced Jerusalemite Mamoun Salem Shyoukhi to demolish his home in Silwan’s Ein Al-Fauqa neighborhood, alleging that it had been built without a permit.
The 70-square-meter residence, constructed about two years ago, housed Shyoukhi, his wife, and their three children.
The Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli authorities also ordered the evacuation of Na’im Maragha’s 40-square-meter home, built in 1966 and inhabited by four members of his family.
They also ordered Salah Maragha’s family to vacate a 40-square-meter section of their 68-square-meter home, where four Palestinians live.
A third order requires educator In’am Maragha and her sister, Rabia, to evacuate and remove a six-square-meter section of their home. The Governorate said both women have serious health conditions and are unable to move without assistance.
Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem are often forced to demolish their own homes to avoid heavy municipal fines and demolition fees, amid discriminatory planning policies that restrict Palestinian construction and facilitate illegal Israeli colony expansion.
The Jerusalem Governorate condemned the measures as part of Israel’s continuing displacement of Palestinians from Silwan.
