13.10.2026 01:02
Israeli authorities continue to demolish the homes of Palestinian families in occupied East Jerusalem on the grounds that they are "unlicensed." A Palestinian living in Silwan has begun to vacate not only the house where he lived with his wife and 4 children, but also the residence belonging to his father. In Beit Hanina, a person preparing to become a father for the first time demolished his house with his own hands in order to avoid high demolition costs.
New demolition orders have come from Israel for the homes of Palestinian families. In occupied East Jerusalem, two families face the danger of losing their homes due to the municipality's demolition orders.
HE WAS FORCED TO EVACUATE HIS OWN HOME AND HIS FATHER'S HOME
The Jerusalem Governorate, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, issued a statement regarding the demolition orders taken by Israeli authorities concerning Palestinian-owned residences in the Silwan and Beit Hanina neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. According to the statement, Hani Selayime, who lives in the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood of Silwan, began evacuating two residences belonging to him and his father in order to prepare them for demolition. It was stated that Selayime lived with his wife and four children in the 100-square-meter house he built in 2002. It was recorded that his father's house in the same area is 60 square meters in size. It was reported that due to the Israeli authorities' demolition order, the Selayime family was forced to leave the residences where they had lived for many years.
WHILE EXPECTING HIS FIRST BABY, HE DEMOLISHED HIS HOME WITH HIS OWN HANDS
In the Beit Hanina neighborhood of East Jerusalem, the situation of another Palestinian family drew attention. Ala Issam er-Recebi, who lives in the Al-Ashqariyya neighborhood, demolished his 60-square-meter home with his own hands after the demolition order notified by the Israeli-affiliated Jerusalem Municipality. It was stated that Recebi, who married about a year ago, was recently preparing to become a father for the first time. The Palestinian, who was preparing to hold his first child in his arms, was forced to demolish the home where he would live with his family. According to information conveyed by the Jerusalem Governorate, the demolition was carried out in line with the decision taken by the Israeli municipality.
THEY DEMOLISH THEIR HOMES TO AVOID PAYING DEMOLITION COSTS
The demolition orders implemented by Israeli authorities in East Jerusalem also leave Palestinian families facing a heavy economic burden. If Israeli municipal teams carry out the demolition, the resulting costs and fines can be billed to the property owners. For this reason, some Palestinians are forced to demolish their own homes themselves in order not to face high demolition fees. Thus, families not only lose their housing options, but are also forced to eliminate the residences they live in with their own hands.
OBSTACLES TO OBTAINING PERMITS DRAW REACTION
Israeli authorities claim that the structures are unlicensed in the demolition orders issued for Palestinian-owned residences. However, human rights organizations state that it is extremely difficult for Palestinians living in East Jerusalem to obtain building permits due to systematic restrictions. According to the organizations, obstacles to granting construction permits make it difficult for Palestinians to meet their housing needs while increasing the risk of unlicensed construction. Subsequently, subjecting these structures to demolition orders on the grounds that they are unlicensed deepens the housing problem of families living in the region.
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE ANNEXATION DECISION
The legal status of East Jerusalem continues to be one of the fundamental points of dispute in the Israeli-Palestinian issue. In 1980, Israel adopted a unilateral annexation arrangement that also covered East Jerusalem. However, the United Nations and a large part of the international community consider East Jerusalem among the occupied Palestinian territories and do not recognize Israel's annexation.