Israel to dispossess 13 Palestinian families in al-Quds, raze their houses

The deadline set by the Israeli regime for the demolition of Palestinian homes at an area in the occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds neighborhood of Silwan is coming to an end, amid international outcry over Tel Aviv's land grab policies in the occupied territories.

Palestine’s official Wafa news agency reported on Sunday that the deadline given to 13 houses belonging to Palestinian families in al-Bustan neighborhood, will come to an end today.  

These homes are among the 98 buildings that the Israeli authorities have issued demolition orders to their residents.

Earlier this month, the Jerusalem municipality notified the families affected to evacuate and demolish their houses themselves within 21 days.

The municipality warned the Palestinians that failure to do so would mean the families would have to cover the demolition costs.

Since 2005, residents of al-Bustan have received warnings to demolish nearly 90 homes under the pretext of building without a permit, in favor of a settler organization that seeks to turn the land into a park.

Israel plans to demolish 17 Palestinian homes in East al-Quds area by July end: Official

A Palestinian official says Israeli authorities plan to demolish 17 Palestinian homes in Silwan area in East Jerusalem al-Quds by the end of next month.

According to Palestinian NGO Grassroots al-Quds, both home demolitions and court-ordered forced displacements are tactics used to expel Palestinian residents.

Throughout the years, Israel has frequently demolished Palestinian homes, claiming that the structures have been built without permits, which are nearly impossible to obtain.

The Tel Aviv regime even orders the Palestinian owners to tear down their own homes or pay the demolition costs to the municipality.

At the same time, Israel has expanded its illegal settlements for Israelis in occupied Palestinian territories, which are all illegal under international law.

Since January, the Israeli regime has forced more than 20 Palestinian families in the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds to raze their homes.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law as they are built on occupied land. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.

Silwan, home to about 33,000 Palestinians, is located outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem al-Quds and its sacred sites.

Israeli officials have been moving Jewish extremists to the neighborhood since the 1980s, and currently several hundred settlers live there in heavily protected settlement compounds.

This has resulted in numerous human rights violations, including the forced eviction and displacement of Palestinian residents.

The Silwan properties are claimed by Israeli extremists backed by Ateret Cohanim, a right-wing foundation that works to strengthen the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem al-Quds.

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