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JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian to destroy his home in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, where he lived with his wife and five children.

Shaker Nayef Jaabes bought the home in al-Mukaber from the previous owner in 2008. Several months later, Israeli authorities ordered him to pay a 50,000-shekel ($13,670) fine claiming the house was built without an Israeli license.

After he had completed the payment, an Israeli court ordered him to pay 100,000 shekels more.

"I told the judge that I didn't have the money to pay," Jaabes told Ma'an.

Israeli authorities then ordered him to demolish his home by Sept. 8. If he did not demolish his own home, Israeli authorities would demolish it and charge him 70,000 shekels for the demolition.

Jaabes lived in the 100-square-meter home with his wife and their five children.

Israel rarely grants Palestinians permits to build in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It has demolished at least 27,000 Palestinian homes and structures since occupying the West Bank in 1967, according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

Israeli has designated most of the West Bank as "agricultural land" and most of East Jerusalem as "open green space," so Palestinians can own land but not build on it.

Israeli commissions usually rezone the land for requests to build Jewish settlements.

It is illegal under international law to demolish property in occupied territory.
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