In East Jerusalem, Palestinians whose houses are declared illegal by Israel are being forced to raze their own homes.

The city of Jerusalem lies at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and property, housing and Israeli settlements are burning issues.

The Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem has forced thousands of Palestinians from their homes and created a serious housing shortage. Since 1967, the Palestinian population has quadrupled, climbing to over 300,000 - nearly 40 percent of the population. Yet the Israeli municipal authorities in East Jerusalem have restricted the area available for Palestinians to build to just nine percent of the land.