Pictures and details- Injuries and arrests, demolishing 4 structures and displacing 11 individuals in Silwan
The Israeli bulldozers demolished on Tuesday two houses and two barracks in the neighborhood of Wadi Yasoulin Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center / Silwan said that Israeli bulldozers, accompanied by dozens of soldiers, Special Forces and municipal staff, stormed Wadi Yasoul neighborhood in Silwan. They surrounded the neighborhood completely and ascended the high places. They then broke into the houses of Anas Burqan and his brother Qusai to demolish them under the pretext of building without a permit.
The locals that were present during the raid on both houses informed the center that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the houses by force, and fired a sound grenade inside a house to disperse the occupants and force them out. Then, they assaulted Anas, the owner of the house, and severely beat him with the butts of their guns. They also assaulted his mother and pushed her, and threatened to assault his pregnant sister, during which the forces randomly sprayed pepper gas inside and outside the house.
The center added that the Israeli occupation forces assaulted those present outside the houses “family members and neighbors” with rubber bullets, beatings and pushing, to prevent them from reaching the area.
Injuries
During the demolitions, the 71-year old Majed Imam Shweiki was wounded in both of his hands and required 30 stitches. Mohammed Abu Aida was also wounded by a shrapnel of a sound grenade and required 10 stitches. Hamza Maragha suffered wounds in his ear and required 12 stitches due to being assaulted by the butts of guns. The owner of the house, Anas Burqan, was arrested and the police extended his arrest for 24 hours on charges of assaulting a police officer. Mahdi Burqan and Suhaib Burqan were also injured with various bruises.
Demolition
The occupation authorities displaced on Tuesday 11 Jerusalemites from Burqan family, including 7 children, after the demolition of their homes, leaving them homeless without a shelter.
Burqan family said that the house of Anas has been in existence for 29 years, while Qusai’s house was established 27 years ago, and were built from "tin plates and bricks”.
The family confirmed that the occupation municipality completely demolished and razed everything on the land. Mahdi Burqan said: “The demolition order was issued against the two houses only, but the bulldozers demolished a sheep's barracks and a chicken barracks, a plastic storage for children's toys, in addition to surrounding fences and other walls for agriculture. Also, olive trees, palms and lemons were razed by the occupation’s bulldozers. "
In mid-April, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected the "appeal" filed by homeowners in Wadi Yasoul neighborhood against the decision to demolish their homes and ordered the demolition of four houses.
The occupation municipality and the courts refuse to transfer the lands of Wadi Yasoul to "areas where housing and construction are permitted." They are classified as green areas intended to be public and open areas, natural areas and grasslands, and the danger of demolition threatens 84 houses in the neighborhood.
