JERUSALEM, November 24, 2024 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities issued demolition orders today for several homes in the Silwan neighborhood, located south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. The orders, issued by the Jerusalem Municipality, specifically target homes belonging to the Abu Shafe' family in the Bustan area of Silwan.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, which monitors developments in Silwan, the Israeli municipality teams placed demolition notices on the doors of the homes, giving the families a 14-day deadline to vacate the properties.
The Israeli authorities also carried out extensive surveillance in the area, photographing the homes, roads, and structures as part of their ongoing campaign to clear the area.
Over the past few weeks, the Israeli authorities have escalated their demolitions in the Bustan neighborhood, which faces the looming threat of complete destruction. The Israeli government plans to demolish the entire area to make way for a project they refer to as the “King’s Garden,” a large-scale archaeological and tourist park aimed at furthering the Judaization of Jerusalem.
Earlier this month, on November 5, Israeli forces demolished three buildings in the Bustan area, which included seven residential apartments. In addition to the demolitions, the Israeli authorities also uprooted trees and destroyed concrete walls and roads leading to the homes.
Currently, 109 homes in Silwan housing approximately 1,550 residents are under threat of demolition. This is part of a broader effort by Israeli authorities to clear Palestinian neighborhoods for the expansion of Israeli settlement projects and the establishment of Israeli-controlled archaeological parks in and around Jerusalem.
The demolition orders in Silwan are part of a larger pattern of displacement affecting Palestinian residents in Jerusalem. Since the beginning of Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza in October 2023, over 40,000 Palestinians in Jerusalem have been affected by demolition orders and the destruction of homes.
According to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli authorities demolished 226 structures in Jerusalem by the end of October 2024, displacing at least 621 Palestinians and affecting the livelihoods of 40,767 others.
The vast majority of these demolitions were carried out under the pretext of "illegal construction" due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are notoriously difficult for Palestinians to obtain in Jerusalem.
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