Large numbers of heavily armed Israeli forces raided the Silwan neighborhood, in occupied East Jerusalem, and surrounded several Palestinian-owned structures in preparation for demolition, on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses told Ma’an that heavily armed Israeli forces, a number of bulldozers, and the Israeli Civil Administration staff raided Silwan and commenced demolition of two Palestinian-owned structures.
Israel's Supreme Court is allowing the demolition of 500 homes in occupied East Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood, where an entire Palestinian community will soon be forcibly displaced and left homeless. https://t.co/DEew1UuBp5 pic.twitter.com/68qMi7bVdh
— The IMEU (@theIMEU) April 17, 2019
Sources confirmed that Israeli bulldozers demolished storage warehouses, which belonged to Izz Barqan.
Israeli bulldozers also demolished horse stables, which measured 200-square-meters and were built four years ago.
The demolished horse stables belonged to Muhammad al-Qaq.
Israeli occupation forces demolish a farm in Wadi Yasoul in Silwan neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/9RQwCusmav
— Palestine Live (@pallive_en) April 17, 2019
Sources added that during the demolition campaign, Israeli forces physically assaulted Silwan residents, including women and children.
Earlier this week, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Palestinian families from Silwan, allowing the demolition of 500 homes and commercial buildings, which were built without an Israeli-issued permit, to take place.
The residents built these 500 homes and commercial buildings about 30 years ago without the nearly-impossible to obtain Israeli permit.
Demolitions reported this morning in the Wadi Yasul area of Silwan (#EastJerusalem), Khirbet Jubara, and in Kobar, the latter on punitive grounds. pic.twitter.com/sbj7FmedNA
— OCHA oPt (Palestine) (@ochaopt) April 17, 2019
The Supreme Court’s decision will most probably affect the fates of hundreds of Palestinian families, who will be left homeless following the demolitions.
Israel rarely grants Palestinians permits to build in East Jerusalem, though the Jerusalem municipality has claimed that compared to the Jewish population, they receive a disproportionately low number of permit applications from Palestinian communities, which also see high approval ratings.
Watch | Israeli occupation forces assault Palestinian civilians as the former raid the neighborhood of Silwan in occupied Jerusalem to carry out home demolitions, today. pic.twitter.com/Jnj1RverfW
— #FreePalestine ?? (@Taghreeba) April 17, 2019
For Jewish Israelis in occupied East Jerusalem’s illegal settlements, the planning, marketing, development, and infrastructure are funded and executed by the Israeli government. By contrast, in Palestinian neighborhoods, all the burden falls on individual families to contend with a lengthy permit application that can last several years and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
(Ma’an, PC, Social Media)
