Jerusalem: A Palestinian family in the Jabal al-Mukaber neighborhood of Occupied Jerusalem was forced to demolish three of its own homes on Thursday following demolition orders issued by the Israeli municipality.
The final demolition orders had been issued around 15 days earlier, leaving the Za’atra family with a difficult choice. If the municipality carried out the demolitions, the family would have faced substantial costs for the operation, along with the possibility of additional fines and damage to neighboring homes.
The three houses were occupied by different members of the same family. One was home to Jerusalemite resident Mohammed Tawfiq Za’atra, his wife and their three daughters. A second house was occupied by Khaled Za’atra and his wife, while the third was home to Tawfiq Za’atra and his family of eight.
The family was therefore not only forced to lose their homes but also had to bear the cost of demolishing them themselves.
Self-demolition has become a way for families facing demolition orders to avoid the much higher costs associated with municipal crews and machinery. But the financial burden is accompanied by a deep psychological toll, as families are forced to destroy the homes in which they and their loved ones have lived.
The demolition in Jabal al-Mukaber has once again highlighted the heavy economic and emotional burden faced by Palestinian families in Occupied Jerusalem.