Jerusalem24 – Today, Wednesday, the Israeli occupation demolished a house and notified the demolition of three others in the town of Silwan, the south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Fakhri Abu Diab, a member of the Silwan Town Defense Committee, reported that the Israeli forces stormed the Ain al-Lawza neighborhood in Silwan and demolished a one-story house belonging to the Jerusalemite, Muhammad Matar.
Abu Diab explained that the Israeli forces had previously notified Matar of the demolition of his house, and forced him to demolish part of it, under the pretext of not having a building permit.
He added, that the occupation handed notices of demolition to three houses in the Al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan, until the fifth of November, knowing that these houses are old and were built before 1967.
Abu Diab warned of the Israeli authorities’ attempts to demolish several neighborhoods in Silwan, which represent the southern facade of Al-Aqsa Mosque, to impose full control over the city of occupied Jerusalem.
Al-Bustan neighborhood is located in the center of Silwan town and is adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque from the south and southeast sides. It is about 300 meters away from the southern wall, and extends over an area of 70 dunums, and is inhabited by about 1,550 citizens.
According to a recent United Nations report, in 2020 alone, Israel targeted 848 Palestinian-owned properties across the West Bank, the highest level ever since 2009, with the exception of 2016, displacing 996 Palestinians, more than half of whom are children.
The report indicated that Israel accelerated the demolitions in 2021, as they demolished and seized at least 292 Palestinian-owned buildings in the first quarter, displacing 450 people.
