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JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Demolition teams from the Jerusalem municipality on Wednesday morning destroyed three Palestinian homes and forced a man to demolish his own home in East Jerusalem, leaving 28 homeless.

Clashes erupted in one neighborhood following the demolitions, injuring 15 and leading to seven detentions, according to eyewitnesses.

The first demolition was in the Beit Hanina neighborhood north of the Old City. Demolition teams, residents said, arrived at 4:30 a.m. at Wadi al-Dam in Beit Hanina and stormed the home of Muhammad Sanduqa.

They then forced the family out and evacuated furniture before bulldozers pulled the house down.

Alaa Sanduqa told Ma'an that his family house was built 17 years ago. The house, he said, measured 65 square meters and housed seven people. He highlighted that his family had paid a fine of 1,000 shekels ($280) for building without a license.

A second demolition raid was carried out in Sur Bahir village south of the Old City. Mujahid Abu Sarhan told Ma'an that he was awakened by the "noise of Israeli soldiers smashing my windows with rifle butts."

"The Israeli forces arrived without prior notice and they assaulted me in front of my baby girl. My house was built in 2008 and since then I have been trying to obtain a construction license."

He says that he paid a fine of 13,000 shekels ($3700) for building without a license.

A third demolition was reported in Jabal al-Mukabbir neighborhood. Eyewitnesses said municipality demolition teams forcibly evacuated the families of Nasser Ramadan Shqeirat and his brother Hussein.

While the teams evacuated furniture, Israeli forces assaulted women and young people who tried to prevent the evacuation. They sprayed pepper spray at the residents.

Clashes broke out in Jabal al-Mukkabir after the demolitions, which left 15 injured with various bruises and cuts. Fatah secretary in Jabal al-Mukkabir, Iyad Bashir, was among the injured.

Israeli forces also detained 7 young Palestinians and released them hours later. Ramadan Naser Shuqeirat, Oday Naser Shuqeirat, and Ramadan Shtewi Shuqeirat were identified among the detainees.

Khalid Mahmoud Bashir said Israeli forces raided his house in Jabal al-Mukkabir on Wednesday without prior notice, evicted his family and assaulted them with batons and tear gas.

Bashir said he, and his eight family members including a disabled daughter, have been living in the 85 square meter house for five years.

He explained that Jerusalem municipality imposed a fine of 85 thousand shekels on him eight months ago, and he pays the monthly installments for it.

He added that he managed to get a court order to suspend the demolition, but that was "ignored by the occupation bulldozers."

Maher Mashahra, meanwhile, was forced to demolish his house in al-Sala area in Jabal al-Mukkabir. He added that Israeli forces arrived at his house and told him that he had four hours to leave before they demolished the house, or else they would demolish it and force him to pay 45,000 shekels ($12,700) in demolition fees.

He added that he had to rent a bulldozer to demolish the house, as Israeli police surrounded the area, and he was forced to pay $10,000 for the cost of police forces who surrounded the area.

Mashahra had been living in the house for three years with his wife and 3-month old daughter.

An Israeli police spokesman did not return a call seeking comment.
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JERUSALEM, February 5, 2014 (WAFA) – After Israeli West Jerusalem municipality workers demolished on Wednesday one house in Beit Hanina and part of another in Sur Baher neighborhoods, municipality bulldozer demolished another house in Jabal al-Mukabber and an area resident was forced to demolish his own house to avoid paying heavy costs if the municipality demolishes it.

The municipality said the two houses were built without permit.

Khalid Bashir said the municipality demolished his son’s 80-square-meter house, which he built after he got married to live in it with his wife.

He said his son, Muhammad, was paying fines for building without a permit while he was pursuing steps to obtain a permit.

Residents clashed with police, who provided protection to the bulldozer as it proceeded to demolish the house.

Police fired tear gas at the residents causing many suffocation cases. Police also arrested several people.

Maher Mashahreh, another resident of Jabal al-Mukabber, was forced to demolish his own house, which he built from cement blocks with a tin roof, to avoid having to pay heavy costs if the municipality demolishes it.

He said he had to rent a bulldozer at his own expense to demolish his 40-square-meter home and had to pay a fine of $3000.

Israeli authorities rarely issue building permits for Palestinians in East Jerusalem and impose skyrocketing fees for a permit.

M.N./M.S.

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ERUSALEM (Ma'an) Feb 18, 2014. Updated Feb 22, 2014 -- Clashes broke out in East Jerusalem neighborhoods on Feb. 5 as Israeli bulldozers demolished five Palestinian homes.

Video footage shows Israeli police hurling tear gas canisters at Palestinian protesters, who throw rocks in response as houses crumble to the ground in the background.

On the day of the demolitions, Israel announced plans to construct over 550 new settler homes in East Jerusalem.

srael destroyed more than 663 Palestinian properties in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2013, displacing 1,101 people, according to UNOCHA.

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.

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