OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Israeli authorities on Thursday forced a Palestinian family in the Jabal al-Mukaber neighborhood of Occupied Jerusalem to demolish three of its own homes.
The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate said the Israeli municipality ordered the Za’atra family to demolish the three homes after final demolition orders were issued around 15 days ago. The practice forces Jerusalemite families to carry out and bear the costs of demolishing their own homes rather than having Israeli authorities carry out the demolitions.
According to the governorate, the first home was inhabited by Jerusalemite resident Mohammed Tawfiq Za’atra, his wife and their three daughters. The second was home to Khaled Za’atra and his wife, while the third housed Tawfiq Za’atra and his family of eight.
Self-demolition requires homeowners to carry out demolition orders themselves to avoid the substantial costs imposed by the Israeli municipality when its crews and machinery carry out the demolition. Families may also do so to avoid additional fines or damage to neighboring homes.
The measure is part of a broader policy that forces Palestinian families in Occupied Jerusalem to demolish their own homes, compounding the financial and psychological burden of demolition orders.
