On Sunday evening, the Israeli army and the police forced a Palestinian family to demolish its home in the Ein Al-Louza neighborhood in Silwan town, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank.
Lutfiyah al-Wahidi said her family was forced to demolish the home to avoid the hefty costs, the exaggerated fines and fees, she would be forced to pay if Israeli crews carried out the demolition.
She added that the family filed appeals with the City Council and Israeli courts in occupied Jerusalem but were all denied.
“Our home, where all my children were born and grew up, was built in the year 1951; when my children grew up, my son, Adam, got married and we built this home for him and his family about twenty years ago,” Lutfiyah told Al-Bawsala media agency, “We had to pay more than 130.000 Shekels in fines and court costs, trying to save the property, but Israel just wants to demolish it. I am wheelchair-bound, and my body is frail, my son and his family help me in my daily life, take me to medical appointments, get me the house supplies I need… This is devastating, we have no money to pay for additional fines and fees…”
Video By Al-Bawsala – Published On Their Facebook Page
It is worth mentioning that the Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem are frequently coerced into self-demolishing their homes.
If the City Council used it machines and crews, or even contractors, the families would face exorbitant fines and fees, in addition to the demolition costs.
On Monday dawn, Israeli soldiers invaded Hizma town, north of the occupied capital, Jerusalem, in the West Bank, and demolished a gas station.
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.”
