For Palestinians in Jerusalem, home demolitions by Israeli forces leave few options: face homelessness, seek refuge with relatives, or relocate far from the city. The Israeli occupation has rendered building permits nearly impossible to obtain, creating an oppressive system designed to uproot Palestinians from their homes.

In Al-Tur, Walid Al-Imam and his family of seven were forced into his parents’ home after bulldozers destroyed their house. Similarly, Muhammad Abd Ouda of Silwan now rents in Al-Eizariya, east of Jerusalem, vowing to return despite the hardships: “We cannot abandon our community.”

The costs imposed by the Israeli municipality—up to $500,000 for a permit—make legal construction unattainable for most Palestinians, while settlers receive permits with ease. This disparity drives families into overcrowded areas like Kufr Aqab and Qalandia or compels them to build unlicensed structures at constant risk of demolition.

In 2024 alone, 243 Palestinian homes in Jerusalem were demolished, the highest annual rate since 1967, with 103 families forced to demolish their own homes to avoid exorbitant municipal fines. These demolitions are part of a calculated effort to impoverish Palestinians, deplete their resources, and force them out of the city.

Naser Al-Hadmi, head of the Jerusalem Campaign Against Demolitions and Judaization, describes this as collective punishment: “Families pay up to $1,300 monthly for rent or resort to building modest unlicensed structures, only to see them destroyed again.” He estimates 35,000 unlicensed housing units shelter nearly 180,000 Palestinians determined to resist displacement.

Under the current far-right Israeli government, demolitions have quadrupled, targeting not just homes but also mosques and businesses in areas like Anata and Hizma. Researcher Ahmed Al-Safadi emphasises that this policy aims to alter Jerusalem’s demographics, prioritising settlement expansion and consolidating Israeli control over the city.

These acts are not isolated but part of a broader strategy to break Palestinian resilience and erase their presence from Jerusalem. For Palestinians, resisting these policies is not just about homes—it is about survival, identity, and the right to exist in their own city.