LONDON: Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian resident of occupied East Jerusalem to demolish his home and that of his son in Sur Baher, citing building violations as the reason.

Raed Dabash demolished the two houses that housed eight people, totaling 90 square meters. The Dabash family built their homes in 2014 without obtaining a building permit from the Israeli authorities in the city.

Israeli authorities imposed high building fines exceeding 100,000 shekels (around $32,000) on two houses, part of a policy aimed at restricting residents in Jerusalem, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.

The Palestinian Authority’s affiliated governorate emphasized that the policy of forced self-demolition is a crime of coercion and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, the Wafa news agency reported.

Israel regularly denies building permits to Palestinians in Jerusalem, while illegally expanding Jewish settlements in the city and the occupied West Bank. The authorities often compel Palestinian residents in Jerusalem to demolish their own homes for allegedly lacking permits. Those who refuse face demolition of their homes by Israeli bulldozers and significant fines.

The Israeli government faces charges of war crimes and genocide in the Occupied Territories at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.