Daijiworld Media Network - East Jerusalem

East Jerusalem, Mar 13: In the south of occupied East Jerusalem, families like Basema Dabash and her husband Raed are grappling with the emotional and financial devastation of having to demolish their own homes under Israeli municipal orders.

Basema, 51, said her family had lived under the threat of demolition since 2014. On February 12, they were forced to tear down two houses, including an extension built for her married son, to avoid paying municipal demolition fees, which can reach 100,000 shekels ($32,000). Despite carrying out the demolition themselves, the family still faces a fine of 45,000 shekels ($14,600), payable in installments until 2029.

“We were forced to start demolishing the house ourselves to avoid the municipality’s fees. But the psychological toll is immense,” Basema said. Her family now lives in a cramped space, with her son’s family scattered due to lack of housing.

The practice of self-demolition has become common in East Jerusalem, where Palestinians struggle to obtain building permits. Organizations like Human Rights Watch and B’Tselem have documented the systemic difficulties Palestinians face in getting permits, while Israeli settlers face far fewer obstacles.

According to Marouf al-Rifai, spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate, demolitions have surged since the 2023 Gaza war, with 400 homes demolished in 2025 alone. The United Nations reported that demolitions displaced 1,500 Palestinians that year.

“The choice is devastating: demolish your own home or face exorbitant municipal fines. Most Palestinians cannot pay, so they demolish their own homes, multiplying their suffering,” said Fakhri Abu Diab, of the Committee for the Defence of al-Bustan Neighborhood.

Cases like Saqr Qunbur, who demolished his 100-square-metre house under threat, illustrate the psychological, financial, and physical toll of these policies. Saqr developed diabetes and high blood pressure due to the stress, and his young child suffers emotionally from losing their home.

Palestinians say these demolitions, combined with illegal settlement expansion, are part of a broader policy to displace and marginalize Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem.