Land Research Center

The Shkirat family, in Mukaber, southeast of Jerusalem, to demolish their house on the morning of January 30, 2022, on the orders of the Jerusalem municipality, which gave the family only two days. The demolished house consisted of two apartments, each of 80 square meters, with a construction value of up to 200,000 shekels, equivalent to 62,000 US dollars.

The family payed 10 thousand shekels, 3 thousand US dollars to demolish its two apartments, which are an addition to the main house, which caused cracks in the walls of the house that need immediate repair. As for the demolished part, it consists of two apartments, each apartment consists of a room, a bathroom and a kitchen. Each apartment includes the family of Daoud Shkirat, consisting of seven members, and the apartment of Muhammad Shkirat, which consists of 6 members. The municipality has threatened a fine of approximately 100,000 shekels (30,000 dollars) if its crews evaluate the demolition.

As for the family, they suffered psychological effects as a result of the demolition. The family of Daoud Shkirat was scattered and had to live with their relatives, while the family of Muhammad Shkeirat resorted to live in his mother's house temporarily.

Since the two apartments are located in a populated area, the owner expressed great concern and confusion about the municipality’s procedures, after he paid more than 150,000 shekels (45,000 dollars) as violations and as wages for lawyers, and that the construction was from 2010, but the decision was unfair and racist. Within two days, no more, the owner was forced to demolish.

The village of Mukaber is located to the southwest of Jerusalem, and it is a natural extension of the villages of Al-Sawahrah, Abu Dis and Al-Ubaidiya, but the separation wall cuts it off and separated families in it, in addition to the presence of the settlement of Armon Hanatzif, which is located on the lands of the town to the southwest, in addition to the presence of more than one outpost And a police station in the heart of the town could tighten the noose around its people and make them feel under constant surveillance and control over their lives and daily activities.