East jerusalem: Israeli municipal authorities forced several Palestinian residents to carry out self-demolitions of their properties in occupied East Jerusalem, local authorities and officials said Sunday.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Jerusalem Governorate reported that Mohammad Abdul Raouf Abu Tir, a Palestinian resident, was compelled to demolish his home in the village of Umm Tuba. Israeli authorities cited construction 'without a permit' as the reason for the demolition. The home, built in 2014 and measuring about 100 square meters, housed a family of nine, including the couple, their five children, and the man's parents. Additionally, Israeli authorities imposed fines totaling 45,000 shekels (about $12,000).

In a separate incident, Israeli authorities forced two brothers, Tareq and Fadi al-Rajabi, to self-demolish two commercial shops they owned in the Bustan neighborhood of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Separately, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that another resident, Mohammad Omar Mashahara, was forced to evacuate his home in Sur Baher in preparation for its self-demolition following a municipal order on claims of lacking 'a building permit.' The home, built in 2018 and measuring about 110 square meters, housed Mashahara, his wife, and their four children. He was fined 70,000 shekels (about $24,000) and received a demolition order a month earlier before being notified again two days ago to carry it out immediately.

In recent years, the practice of 'self-demolition' has become increasingly common in East Jerusalem. Palestinians are forced to demolish their own homes to avoid paying high fines if Israeli authorities carry out the demolition themselves. Residents are often given the choice by the municipality between demolishing their homes on their own or paying the cost of Israeli crews carrying out the demolition.

Palestinian, Israeli, and international rights groups point out that Israeli authorities impose strict limitations on Palestinian construction in East Jerusalem while expanding illegal settlement building in the occupied city. Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, while Israel considers the city-both east and west-its capital.