A Palestinian man has started to demolish part of his own house in Jerusalem because he cannot afford to pay the fine which would be imposed and used by the Israeli authorities to pay someone else to do the work. The house in question was built several years ago and the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem municipality issued a demolition order in April.
In a statement on the issue, the Research and Documentary Unit at the Quds Centre for Social and Economic Rights said that Mr. Nayef Kstiro, a resident of Okbat el-Saraya in the Old City of Jerusalem, began the demolition of the house which he had extended due to an increase in the size of his family.
The father of three said that he was forced to implement the occupation-municipality order issued in April of this year because he could not afford the demolition fees if the work was carried out by official crews. Mr. Kstero told the Centre’s researchers that the part which has been demolished is a room he had added to his house which was previously just one room and a bathroom.