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Demolition of Buildings in East Jerusalem: A Renewed Tragedy for Palestinian Families
Last week, East Jerusalem witnessed a series of demolitions targeting several residential buildings, following demolition orders issued by the occupation municipality on the grounds of "illegal construction." These operations, which occur repeatedly, have a severe human and social impact on Palestinian families who find themselves suddenly homeless.
One of the most prominent cases was in the Beit Hanina neighborhood, where the Halwani family was forced to demolish an entire residential building housing six siblings and their families. According to family members, they were informed that they must carry out the demolition themselves and submit photographic evidence of the process to the municipality to avoid demolition fees imposed by the Israeli authorities, along with a hefty fine of 230,000 shekels. This harsh measure not only resulted in the confiscation of their home but also burdened them with the responsibility of destroying their own shelter—an example that exemplifies the suffering experienced by Palestinians in the city.
Beit Hanina was not the only neighborhood to face such tragedy; similar self-demolitions were recorded in various areas, including Jabal al-Mukaber and Bustan neighborhood in Silwan. Several families were forced to make the painful decision of demolishing their homes themselves. This policy aims to reduce the financial burdens on the occupation authorities, but at the same time, it intensifies psychological pain and humanitarian suffering for the families, who are left with two bitter choices: demolish the buildings themselves or pay hefty sums after the structures are forcibly demolished.
Human rights organizations emphasize that these measures are part of a broader policy aimed at reducing the Palestinian presence in East Jerusalem by imposing strict building permit restrictions and rejecting most Palestinian applications, pushing them to build without permits out of necessity for their housing needs.
Despite the harsh realities, Palestinians remain steadfast in their right to stay and resist in their city, believing that these policies will not deter them from defending their existence and their right to land and housing. The story of the Halwani family and other families in East Jerusalem testifies to the daily suffering faced by Jerusalemites and a reality that becomes increasingly difficult with time.
