Two Palestinian brothers forced to demolish homes in occupied Jerusalem
Two Jerusalemite brothers were forced to self-demolish their homes in Jabal al-Mukaber.
Israeli authorities on Sunday compelled two Palestinian brothers to demolish their homes in Jabal al-Mukaber, southeast of occupied Jerusalem, leaving their families homeless, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The brothers, Jihad and Luay Mohammad Salameh Shuqairat, were forced to carry out the demolitions themselves after Israeli authorities threatened to destroy the properties using their own machinery and impose additional charges on the families.
According to a statement by the Jerusalem Governorate, Jihad lived in his house with his wife and daughter, while Luay shared his home with his parents and brother Ahmad.
The authorities had imposed fines amounting to approximately 200,000 shekels on the two families, of which 14,000 shekels had already been paid, the governorate said.
It added that the families were warned they could face an additional bill of up to 120,000 shekels if Israeli machinery was used to demolish the structures. The brothers therefore opted to demolish their homes themselves to avoid the extra financial burden.
The demolition extended beyond the two residential buildings, also affecting a storage room, warehouse, horse stable and facilities used for keeping birds and livestock, according to the governorate.
Home demolitions remain a recurring issue for Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, where Israeli authorities cite building regulations and permit requirements to justify the destruction of Palestinian-own
ed structures.