Israel Forces Two Palestinian Families to Demolish Their Own Homes

Israeli authorities forced two Palestinian families in occupied East Jerusalem to self-demolish three homes under the argument of construction without a license, the Jerusalem Governorate reported today.

According to the institution, Hani Salaymeh began clearing out his home and that of his parents, located in the area of Wadi Qaddoum in Silwan, as a step prior to demolition.

Salaymeh's home, built in 2002, measures 100 square meters and houses the resident, his wife, and their four children. His parents' home occupies 60 square meters.

In a separate case, Alaa Issam Al-Rajabi demolished his own home in the Al-Ashqariya neighborhood of Beit Hanina after receiving an order from the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem. The residence, built in 2017, covers about 60 square meters. Its owner married approximately a year ago and is expecting a child, the Governorate specified.

Israeli authorities frequently compel Palestinian residents to execute demolitions themselves to avoid the exorbitant fees charged by the municipality when crews perform the work with municipal machinery.

Palestinian human rights organizations maintain that strict limitations on obtaining building permits in East Jerusalem drive residents to build without authorization, exposing their homes to demolition orders.

A report published in October by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, citing the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, recorded 341 demolition operations during the first half of 2026.

According to the document, those actions impacted 740 Palestinian structures, including inhabited and under-construction residences, commercial and agricultural facilities, and other livelihood-related properties.

Lack of building permits was cited as the primary rationale to justify the demolitions, the report indicated.