Hawzah News Agency –Israeli occupation authorities today dismantled a Palestinian house in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, according to local sources.

They said that Israeli police forced their way into Bir Ayoub area of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, and cordoned off a house belonging to Mohammad Zaytoon before municipal crews dismantled it.

The occupation authorities proceeded with dismantling the structure, which was erected five years ago, after Zaytoon had refused to tear it down himself, rendering his entire family, including three children, homeless.

The heavily-armed police officers prevented journalists from covering the event.

Meanwhile, Amir Rabay‘a was forced to self-demolish his house in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabbir to avoid paying exorbitant fines if the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem carries out the demolition on its own.

The two structures were torn down under the flimsy pretext of being built without licenses.

Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem.

At the same time, the municipality and government build tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Jews with a goal to offset the demographic balance in favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as "residents" whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.

They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel's separation wall.

According to a report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, the Israeli High Court could be liable for war crimes for their policies that led to the dispossession of Palestinians from their properties in Area C of the West Bank.

The report, Fake Justice, shows that the court’s support of Israeli planning policy is tantamount to support for dispossession and forcible transfer of Palestinians, a war crime under international law.