JERUSALEM, February 5, 2026 (WAFA) — European diplomats called on Israeli authorities to stop violations in the neighborhood of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, voicing strong opposition to an unprecedented escalation in forced evictions, demolitions, and settler takeovers of Palestinian homes.

In a statement posted Thursday on X, the European Union Office in the occupied Palestinian territory said that the EU representative, along with representatives of EU member states and like-minded diplomatic missions, visited the Batn al-Hawa and Al-Bustan neighborhoods in Silwan.

The visit took place amid a sharp increase in forced evictions, demolitions, and the seizure of Palestinian homes by settlers, the statement said.

It added that 14 families have recently been evicted, while 30 other families, comprising around 175 people, face an imminent risk of displacement. The statement warned that more than 2,000 residents of Silwan could be forcibly displaced from their homes, stressing that such measures are illegal under international law.

The EU office said the recent surge forms part of a broader escalation of settler violence, land seizure, and displacement across the West Bank, alongside intensified efforts to alter the historical, multi-religious, and multicultural character of Jerusalem.

It emphasized that the use of discriminatory laws to carry out these measures does not absolve Israel of its obligations as an occupying power, calling on Israeli authorities to immediately halt the actions and ensure a sustainable solution that safeguards the rights of communities to remain in their homes.

In recent months, Israeli authorities have stepped up the eviction of dozens of Palestinian families from Batn al-Hawa and demolished dozens of homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Years ago, the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem announced plans to establish a so-called “biblical park” on the site of the Al-Bustan neighborhood.

M.N