Today, Thursday, the occupation municipality in Jerusalem forced five Jerusalemites to demolish their homes in Beit Hanina, north of occupied Jerusalem.
Eyewitnesses said that members of the Khader family began to demolish five homes in the Ashqariya neighborhood of Beit Hanina, using special bulldozers, to avoid paying an expensive fine, in the event that the occupation municipality in Jerusalem demolished them.
The occupation court rejected the family’s request to stop the demolition of five of its homes, a week ago, and the occupation municipality forced them to demolish in favor of the settlers, who claim ownership of the land on which the homes are built, since 1962.
The five houses belong to al-Maqdisi Abdullah Khader, and he lives in them with his sons and their wives.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs yesterday, the occupation authorities have demolished more than 81 buildings in occupied East Jerusalem since the beginning of this year.
The statement said that the escalation of demolitions coincided with an increase in the risks of evacuating hundreds of Palestinians from homes where they have lived for decades in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan in favor of Israeli settlers, warning of a plan to demolish dozens of homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan town.
