Zaid Al-Salaymeh, a Palestinian man, self-demolishes his house, which was under construction, in East Jerusalem's Wadi Qaddum neighborhood, after being forced by Israeli authorities to knock it down.

Palestinian Jerusalemites are only allowed to build on 7 percent of the land in Jerusalem, even though they make up about 30 percent of the city’s population.

Despite a shortage of around 25,000 housing units in East Jerusalem, the municipality only grants 50 to 100 building permits per year for Palestinians.

The Palestinian population living in occupied East Jerusalem is also faced with discrimination as Israel prohibits construction in Palestinian areas it designates as “green land” or “unzoned land”.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: Jerusalem- 30 May 2023. Palestinian Zaid Al-Salaymeh self-demolishes his under-construction house after being forced by the Israeli authorities in Wadi Qaddum neighborhood, east of Jerusalem.

0.1 SOUNDBITE (in Arabic) Zaid Al-Salaymeh.

STORYLINE:

Palestinian Jerusalemites are only allowed to build on 7 per cent of the land in Jerusalem, even though they make up about 30 per cent of the city’s population. Despite a shortage of around 25,000 housing units in East Jerusalem; the Jerusalem Municipality only grants 50 to 100 building permits per year for Palestinians.

The Palestinian population of occupied East Jerusalem is also faced with discrimination in urban planning as Israel designates land surrounding Palestinian neighbourhoods as “green land” or “un-zoned land” where construction is prohibited.

Additionally, the cost of permits and the legal aid required to obtain these permits usually exceeds the financial capabilities of the average East Jerusalem Palestinian resident.

The discriminatory policies of obtaining building permits force many Palestinians in East Jerusalem, to build homes for their families without the required Israeli building permits in an attempt to avoid being forcibly transferred from the city by Israeli forces.