Israeli authorities have given the green light to the demolition of 58 Palestinian homes in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied East al-Quds to make way for enlarging a national park in the area, as Tel Aviv continues with its illegal settlement expansion activities and land grab policies across the Palestinian territories despite international outcry.
Faraan: The Palestinian Information Center, citing local sources, reported on Monday that an Israeli court has rejected an appeal filed by Palestinian residents against the demolition of their homes in Wadi Yasoul neighborhood, southwest of Silwan, under the pretext of “unlicensed construction.”
It further noted that the decision will allow the Israeli municipality to raze 58 out of 84 homes that are threatened with demolition in the neighborhood, adding that about 60 people, including children, patients and elderly, will be displaced should the measure be carried out.
According to local official Khaled Shuweiki, the Israeli regime seeks to demolish this neighborhood and displace its residents in order to establish what it calls “the peace forest” in the area.
Wadi Yasoul residents have been trying to license their homes since 2004, but to no avail. Some 1,050 Palestinians live in this neighborhood.
The Silwan neighborhood has for years been targeted by illegal Israeli settler organizations. Some of the Palestinian families in Silwan have been living there for more than 50 years since they were displaced from the Old City in the 1960s. The Palestinian property in the area is claimed by Israeli extremists backed by Ateret Cohanim, a right-wing foundation that works to strengthen Jewish presence in East al-Quds.
The Tel Aviv regime also plans to force out Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in an attempt to replace them with settlers. That plan sparked days of fighting between Gaza-based Hamas and the Israeli regime in May.
