JERUSALEM, Saturday, December 22, 2018 (WAFA) – The West Jerusalem Israeli municipality ordered a Palestinian family living in Wadi Hilweh area of Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem, to vacate its house following the collapse of a section of a wall around the house, Wadi Hilweh Information Center said on Saturday.
It said the collapse of the wall raised concern of possible collapse of the rest of wall, which could pose a serious risk to the Abu Rmeileh family living there.
The family believes the collapse of the wall was a result of work carried out by the Israeli Elad settlement group in an adjacent piece of land the settlers were able to get their hands on several years ago in order to build a playground for them.
The house belongs to Mufeed Abu Rmeileh, who told Wadi Hilweh Information Center that he heard noise outside the house and when he went out to check on it, he found that the four meters high wall built of cement blocks has collapsed and blocked the main entrance to his house and the walkway leading to it.
He said he was worried that the remaining part of the wall could also collapse, which means a serious threat to the entire house and his family.
Abu Rmeileh said the settlers had placed earth and stones on the wall while building the playground next door to his house, which he believes have led to the collapse of the wall.
As a result of the collapse, the municipality sent an engineer to inspect and access the damage. The engineer acknowledged the seriousness of the situation in the house due to the collapse of the wall and the possibility of other collapses and therefore issued a decision to evacuate and close the house immediately.
The Abu Rmeileh family is composed of seven people. Next door lives a brother, Abdullah, and his family of nine. The collapse of the wall may also affect Abdullah’s house.
According to Wadi Hilweh Information Center, the work above the ground and the underground digs by the settlers in that area without any consideration for the safety of the Palestinian families living there have posed a serious threat to the entire neighborhood.
Residents of Silwan, which is adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem, said that instead of doing something to stop the settlers’ digs and work and make living safer for the local residents, the West Jerusalem municipality decides that these homes are not safe and orders them evacuated and closed.
They said that threat of other collapses as a result of the settlers‘ actions affects that entire area where it is possible to see cracks and landslides in the buildings and roads.
The expressed fear that the digs and work in that area by the settlers are intentional and sanctioned by the municipality and government as a prelude to evacuate the Palestinians from their homes under the pretext they were not safe to live in to eventually take over their homes and replace them with the settlers, who are anxious to take over the entire Wadi Hilweh street and neighborhood, which they call City of David.
M.K.
