Pictures: the locals of Silwan confront the excavation works inside Bab Al-Rahmeh cemetery in Jerusalem
The Locals of Silwan confronted the staff of the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority and prevented them from conducting excavation works and digging in the graves of the cemetery of Bab Al-Rahmeh, while the Israeli occupation forces assaulted them, and arrested one person severely beating him.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center pointed out that representatives of the institutions, committees, national and Islamic forces and activists in the village of Silwan arrived Monday morning to the cemetery of Bab Al-Rahmeh where the Nature and Parks Authority are conducting excavations and digging graves in the cemetery in the area known as "Silwanic Cemetery” under the protection of the Israeli police; works started on Sunday.
The center added that the Nature and Parks authority’s crews continued drilling on Monday to complete the installation of iron fences in the vicinity of a group of graves that had been marked with digital numbers a few months ago, pointing out that the excavations took place in the vicinity of graves belonging to the families of Abbasi and Al-A'war; several gravestones were damaged.
The center said that the Israeli police prevented the residents of Silwan from approaching and reaching the site of the excavations, and forcibly removed them and were engaged in several hours of verbal exchanges with the residents, while Khaled Al-Zeer was arrested and beaten during his arrest and taken to the detention center.
The residents objected to the installation of iron poles and fences on the graves because this constitutes a violation of the sanctity of the dead on one hand and the difficulty of entering the dead on another as the poles and fences will be adjacent to the graves. They confirmed that they are entitled to do all the work inside the cemetery, stressing that these works in the cemetery seek to confiscate more parts of it in favor of settlement projects.
The head of the committee for the care of Islamic graves, Mustafa Abu Zahra, refused the installation of iron fences around the graves, explaining that the Nature and Parks authority sprayed chemicals on trees and herbs yesterday and today and continued digging since yesterday.
The center added that a group of police officers stormed the cemetery of Bab al-Rahmeh during the sit-in of the people, and then informed them that the walls will be placed on the retaining wall in the cemetery and they will close was dug.
Release
The Israeli occupation forces released Khaled Al-Zeer on condition of deportation from the Old City of Jerusalem and Bab Al-Rahmeh cemetery for two weeks and attending an interrogation tomorrow. Al-Zeer was assaulted and severely beaten during the arrest and was taken to Shaare Zedek hospital for treatment.
