Five Palestinian Families Forced to Demolish Their Own Homes in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, MINA – Five Palestinian families fled on Friday, after the Israeli occupation authority of West Jerusalem forced them to demolish their own house located in the Beit Hanina neighborhood north of East Jerusalem.

Israel claims the land on which the houses have been built has belonged to Jews since before Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Palestinian National News Agency Wafa reported.

Abdullah Khader’s family members began demolishing their five residential buildings in the Ashqariya area of ​​the neighborhood to avoid paying exorbitant fees if the city government carried out the demolition itself.

An Israeli court last week rejected a Palestinian family’s appeal to stop the city demolition order, which was issued at the request of Israeli Jewish settlers who claim ownership of the land on which the houses have been built since 1962.

The five houses belonged to Abdullah Khader and his sons and their families.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs, the Israeli occupation authorities have demolished more than 81 Palestinian-owned buildings in occupied East Jerusalem since the start of this year.

It said the escalation in demolition coincided with increased efforts to expel hundreds of Palestinians from the homes in which they were located.

Palestinians have lived for decades in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan. Expulsion of Palestinians in favor of Israeli settlers.

The Palestinian government has also warned that the Israeli occupation authorities are planning to demolish dozens of houses in the Al-Bustan area of ​​Silwan. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)