Pictures: Houses of Aweidah family at risk of collapsing…and the municipality requests to immediately evacuate them
The occupation municipality issued an order to evacuate and close three apartments owned by Aweidah family in the neighborhood of Wadi Hilweh in Silwan after cracks and landslides have significantly increased in the house and its foundations due to excavation works underneath.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center explained that the three houses are owned by Hamed Aweidah, Abed Aweidah and Suleiman Aweidah where 16 individuals live including 10 children.
Aweidah family explained to the center that excavation works underneath their houses increased in the last three days in an unprecedented manner. Sounds of machines were clearly heard and lasted for several hours every day. Family members felt vibrations inside their home which led to an increase in the cracks in the walls and ceilings as well as landslides in the foundations of their homes.
The family added that they called the police on Wednesday night which requested municipality crews from the “dangerous buildings department” to check the apartments.
The center also added that the police and municipality crews took pictures of the cracks and landslides. After they were checked by the municipality’s engineer, the municipality issued an urgent decision to evacuate and close the houses. They considered them as “dangerous buildings” and warned the family not to stay inside.
Aweidah family also explained to the center that the municipality’s engineers told them that the cracks and landslides occurred due to the excavation works underneath. He also said that specialists from the municipality will come again on Thursday to check the apartments.
Suleiman Aweidah was forced to leave his house few days ago due to the significant increase in the cracks in the walls.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center explained that the houses of Aweidah family are located directly above the area where excavations area carried out by the occupation authorities in order to build a tunnel network to serve settlers.
Ahmad Qaraeen, member of Wadi Hilweh committee, explained that the occupation authorities began the excavation works underneath the neighborhood in 2007 and the residents were able to obtain an order from the Israeli courts to stop the excavations underneath their houses for 14 months and then they were able to obtain an order from the judge which allows the Israeli authorities to do their work if they don’t pose any threat to the lives of the residents, but what is happening in the neighborhood is a continuous digging operation without bothering to the local’s lives and safety. The Israeli authorities (Nature and Parks authority, Elad settlement organization and Gihon Water Company) try to avoid any responsibility when it comes to any drilling occurring underneath the neighborhood.
