Israeli forces bulldoze young Palestinian couple's new home, then charges them $41,000 for the demolition

The family in Lod had been given a last minute order to demolish their own home, but the authorities claimed they weren't working fast enough.

MENA

2 min read

Robert Cusack

30 August, 2017

The home was demolished under Israeli police protection [YouTube]

A young Palestinian couple received an unwelcome setback to their marriage plans on Tuesday evening after Israeli authorities bulldozed their new home.

The Sanad al-Faqir family accused Israeli authorities of 'ethnic cleansing' after their home in al-Lod was demolished due to a lack of planning permission.

The family were later charged 150,000 Shekels ($41,000) for the demolition of their own home.

They claim they tried to source a building permit to build their home but were repeatedly denied.

"We appeal to the world to stand by us because this policy affects all the people of Lod, not this family alone," said Feryal al-Faqir.

"The municipal government's systematic policy of ethnic cleansing against [Palestinians] in Lod must stop – they do not want to grant permits or find housing solutions for us."

Police officers lined Yusuf Tal Street, the location of the demolition, holding various members of the community back while heavy machinery destroyed the family home.

The Sanad al-Faqir family's situation is in no way unique. According to Bimkom, a left-wing Israeli NGO, only four percent (53 of 1,253) of requests to build in the West Bank were granted between 2014 and 2016.

A United Nations report released in September 2015 shows that more than 11,000 demolition orders affecting an estimated 13,000 Palestinian-owned structures, including homes, were outstanding in the West Bank.