The occupation forces a citizen to demolish his home south of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation authorities forced a citizen to demolish his home in the town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the occupation forces forced Maher al-Salaymeh, a resident of the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood in the town, to demolish his home.

She added that the house consists of two apartments, accommodates seven people, has been standing for more than 35 years, and covers an area of approximately 140 square meters.

It's worth noting that the occupation authorities had previously demolished another home belonging to the Salaimeh family, as part of a systematic policy targeting Jerusalem residents through demolition orders and population restrictions.

The occupation authorities force citizens in occupied Jerusalem to demolish their homes on their own, claiming they lack permits. Those who refuse to do so have their homes demolished by bulldozers, and the owner is subject to heavy costs.

The Israeli municipality in Jerusalem refuses to grant Palestinian citizens building permits and demolishes or forces them to demolish their homes. This practice violates international law and humanitarian principles that guarantee the right to housing. This practice is part of the Israeli occupation's systematic practice of forcibly displacing Palestinians from Jerusalem in exchange for expanding settlements in and around the city.

It's worth noting that the number of homes and facilities destroyed by the Israeli occupation authorities in the governorate since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, has reached 623. These include residential homes, some of which have been inhabited for decades, and others under construction, in addition to commercial and economic facilities that provide a source of livelihood for dozens of Jerusalemite families, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.