Demolition of 5 Homes and Facilities in Silwan and Qalqilya

SadaNews - On Monday, Israeli occupation machinery demolished several Palestinian homes and facilities in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank, as part of a continuous policy targeting the residences, lands, and sources of livelihood of citizens.

In the town of Silwan, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, occupation forces stormed the Al-Bustan neighborhood accompanied by bulldozers and heavy machinery, and commenced the demolition of five homes, as well as the leveling of lands, walls, and sheds belonging to Jerusalemites, amidst heavy deployment of occupation forces and the closure of roads leading to the neighborhood, preventing residents from accessing the area.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center reported that the demolition operations affected a two-story home belonging to citizen Fayez Awad, in addition to a shed for the Rouidi family, along with the leveling of lands and walls in the neighborhood, as part of measures described by Palestinian authorities as aimed at tightening the screws on residents and forcibly displacing them.

In a related context, the authorities suspended work on a house under construction in the town of Al-Jib, northwest of Jerusalem, under the pretext of it being located in an "archaeological" area and within "Area C," where the occupation imposes strict construction restrictions on Palestinians.

In northern West Bank, occupation bulldozers began demolishing a commercial facility in Nabi Elias town, east of Qalqilya, after a military cordon was imposed on the area. A vehicle washing facility belonging to a local was demolished under the pretext of building without a permit.

The occupation authorities continue to carry out demolition and leveling operations in Jerusalem and the West Bank, amidst a rise in assaults targeting homes and agricultural and commercial facilities, along with wide-ranging restrictions preventing Palestinians from obtaining building permits.

According to data from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, 1,637 incidents have been recorded in April 2023 alone, executed by the occupation army and settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including 37 demolition operations affecting 78 facilities, among them inhabited homes and agricultural installations and sources of livelihood for citizens.

Jerusalem Governorate Records 33 Demolition and Leveling Operations in April

Data released by the Jerusalem Governorate showed an increase in the demolition and leveling operations carried out by the occupation authorities during April 2023, which targeted Palestinian homes and properties in several neighborhoods and towns of the occupied city.

According to the data, 33 demolition and leveling operations were recorded, including 17 cases of coercive self-demolition, during which Jerusalemite citizens were forced to demolish their homes themselves to avoid the heavy fines and costs imposed by the occupation authorities, along with 13 demolition operations directly carried out by the occupation's machinery and municipalities.

The assaults also included three leveling operations targeting lands and Palestinian properties, as part of a continuous policy aimed at shrinking Palestinian residents and constraining their urban expansion.

The demolition and leveling operations were distributed across several areas in Jerusalem, most notably the town of Silwan, especially the Al-Bustan, Karom Al-Qamar, Ras Al-Amoud, and Wadi Hilweh neighborhoods, in addition to Al-Issawiya, Jabal Mukaber, Sur Baher, Shuafat, Hizma, Al-Ram, and Al-Suwana, as well as agricultural lands northeast of occupied Jerusalem.