A Palestinian family from the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan embarked last night on emptying their home after the Israeli municipality informed them that the home will be demolished soon for lack on an Israeli-issued construction permit.

Khaled Abu Tayeh, member of the Silwan Land Defense Committee, told WAFA that the Israeli municipality notified the family of Ahmad Hejazi to empty their home ahead of an imminent demolition by the municipality.

Jerusalemite family forced to empty its house in Silwan district https://t.co/j1VRlrC3Di

— Joe Catron 🇵🇸 #FreePalestinianStudents (@jncatron) March 14, 2021

Abu Tayeh explained that the family built their home in 2014 without getting a permit due to the unreasonable prerequisites imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities on planning and construction for the native Palestinian citizens of the city, unlike the colonial Israeli settler population who enjoy unlimited facilities on construction and tax exemptions.

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.

"Israel's ongoing colonization of Palestinian West Bank, inc E Jerusalem, alongside demolition of Palestinian homes, is a form of ongoing de facto annexation which needs to be unequivocally opposed".

Powerful from @RepRashida, @repmarkpocan also condemning "settler colonialism" pic.twitter.com/MdKhe1adei

— Joseph Willits (@josephwillits) March 13, 2021

Almost 75 percent of applications for a permit by the Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem are rejected by the municipality, according to rights groups.

(WAFA, PC, Social Media)