Three Palestinian households of 20 members in the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan became homeless today after they were forced by the all-Israeli municipality of Jerusalem to demolish the building where they live, according to local sources.
WAFA correspondent said the Nassar family, who live in Wadi Qaddum quarter of Silwan, were forced to demolish their building, which consists of three apartments, after being pressed to do so by the Israeli municipality under the pretext it was built without a permit.
Jawad Nassar, the owner of one of the apartments, said he, his brother and his nephew who own the other two apartments had no option but to demolish the building themselves in order to avoid paying unreasonable demolition costs to the Israeli municipality in the event it carried out the demolition.
Palestinians in Jerusalem say they are forced to build without a permit because getting a building permit is impossible as the right-wing mayor and city council attempt to keep the city’s Palestinian population at a bare minimum while multiplying its Jewish residents by approving the construction of thousands of new housing units in Jewish settlements.
Almost 75 percent of applications for a permit by the Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem are rejected by the municipality, according to rights groups.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency