<\/p>\n
Israeli occupation authorities forced two Palestinian families from occupied Jerusalem to demolish their own homes on Friday and Saturday, in yet another escalation of the long\u2011standing policy aimed at displacing Palestinians under the pretext of \u201cbuilding without a permit.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Jabal al\u2011Mukabber, southeast of Jerusalem, Samir Elian Arar was compelled on Friday to tear down his family\u2019s home after receiving a demolition order from the Israeli municipality. The 80\u2011square\u2011meter house, built in 2018, sheltered seven family members.<\/p>\n
The Jerusalem Governorate stated that the municipality had issued fines against Arar amounting to nearly 100,000 shekels over the years.<\/p>\n
Arar said he had submitted planning maps in 2014 at the municipality\u2019s request and hired lawyers and engineers to follow up on the case. Instead of processing the application, municipal inspectors issued two additional fines that same year\u2014one for 80,000 shekels and another for 17,500 shekels\u2014which he is still paying and will continue to pay until the end of 2027.<\/p>\n
He added that municipal crews invaded the property on January 26, 2026, giving him 21 days to carry out the demolition. Unable to bear the enormous costs the municipality charges when it carries demolitions itself, Arar was forced to destroy his own home.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Israeli authorities issued another self\u2011demolition order targeting the home of Rami al\u2011Bakri in Beit Hanina, north of Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
The 35\u2011square\u2011meter structure consisted of a single room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, and was home to al\u2011Bakri and his newlywed wife. The house had stood for eight years.<\/p>\n
The Jerusalem Governorate said the municipality notified al\u2011Bakri of the demolition order two weeks earlier, leaving him no choice but to dismantle the home himself to avoid additional financial penalties.<\/p>\n
He had already paid approximately 40,000 shekels in fines, in addition to legal fees and the costs associated with attempting to obtain a building permit, an approval that Israeli authorities systematically deny to Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
These demolitions are part of a broader Israeli policy that forces Palestinians to destroy their own homes to avoid exorbitant municipal fees, while simultaneously restricting Palestinian construction and expanding illegal Israeli colonies throughout the city.<\/p>\n
Human rights groups describe the practice as a coercive measure designed to push Palestinians out of Jerusalem and alter the city\u2019s demographic composition.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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