The Israeli municipality forced Jerusalemites to demolish a building attached to a house and car garage in Silwan town in Jerusalem.

Moataz Khalil told Safa that the Israeli municipality forced him to demolish an annexed building in Ras al-Amud to avoid paying tens of thousands Israeli shekels.

He explained that the Israeli Court asked his lawyer to pay 35,000 Israeli shekels in guarantee, until the session scheduled for February 17, but he told him that he could not pay because he had been unemployed since mid-March of the last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

An Israeli policeman came to the house and threatened that if the annexed building was not demolished, he would be forced to pay 50 thousand Israeli shekels, excluding the fee for the Israeli municipality employees who will take over the demolition process.

The Central Israeli Court in Jerusalem granted him a month in the last session held in the December to carry out the demolition by himself.

Khalil explained that he built two rooms and a 50-meter bathroom 10 years ago, along with an old 20-meter room. However, he lives in the house with his wife and their 11 and 8-year-old two children.

He pointed out that he submitted an application for a permit for the annexed building and a municipality planning project, but it was rejected, under the pretext that there is no setback between his house and the neighboring houses.

The Israeli municipality imposed on him building violations of 40,000 Israeli shekels, except for the cost of the attorney's fees.

“The decision of self-demolish is very difficult, I demolish and my heart burns,” Khalil said.

He added, "It is an unjust and racist government. At a time when it forces us to demolish our homes, it builds settlements on our lands and provides facilities for Jews to build."

In the context, the Israeli municipality forced Ihsan Abu Al-Saud to demolish a car garage in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood in the town of Silwan in Jerusalem.

He said that he was forced to demolish because 3 days have passed since the end of the last 21-day period granted to him by the Israeli Court for self-demolition.

His lawyer informed him that in case that the garage was not destroyed by his own hands, the Israeli municipality would force him to pay 80,000 Israeli shekels if it carried out the demolition.

He explained that he built the garage about 17 years ago with an area of 120 meters and he works in it with his four children and it is the only means of livelihood for his children and their families.

Ihsan had paid the Israeli municipality about 70 thousand Israeli shekels for building violations.