Israel demolishes Palestinian home in occupied East Jerusalem

Israel has demolished a Palestinian home belonging to a family of 13 in occupied East Jerusalem, agencies reported on Wednesday.

The owner, Ibrahim Ragbe, said the home was constructed 15 years ago, without a permit and that he was trying to get it licensed.

Dozens of occupying Israeli police officers secured the single-story home on Wednesday as an excavator tore it down.

Jerusalem's Palestinian population has long complained that it faces discriminatory housing policies that favor Israelis.

Four out of five of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem live under the poverty line, and applying for building permits comes with various taxes and fees amounting to tens of thousands of dollars.

Between 2010 and 2014, only 1.5 percent of all Palestinian building permit applications across the occupied West Bank were approved by Israel, according to the UN.

The cost of a permit for a single home is estimated to be in the region of $30,000.

Israel has occupied the West Bank illegally since 1967, committing various crimes against Palestinian civilians.

More than 600,000 Israeli Jews live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in constructions considered illegal under international law.

Along with stealing land, occupying Israeli forces and settlers routinely torment Palestinians in various ways.