Day 124: Jerusalem during “Al-Aqsa Flood” Operation
On the 124th day of "Al-Aqsa Flood Operation", the Israeli police closed the Friday market plot of land "the parking lot" until the case is decided by the District Court, while the Hijazi family carried out the demolition of a "commercial establishment" by themselves by decision of the municipality, and the restrictions imposed on the entry of worshipers to Al-Aqsa continued, and the incursions into the towns and neighborhoods of the city of Jerusalem continued as well.
"Friday Market" parking lot
The police closed off the land of the parking lot known as "Souq al-Jum’a", and placed cement blocks at the entrance of the land and inside it to prevent its use by its owners or the "municipality and nature authority", until the case between the two parties is decided.
Hamad Hamad - one of the owners of the land and a representative of the Hamad family - explained that the land, known as "Souq al-Jum’a”, which has belonged to the family since the Ottoman era, is located between the wall of the Old City and the Yusufiya cemetery - the road leading to Lions Gate, and had several uses over the past years, and for planting seeds and during the Jordan municipality was used as a market for cattle, and an area for the distribution of food for the refugees through the relief agency.
After the occupation of the city of Jerusalem, the municipality continued to use the land as a market for cattle, then for the last 15 years it was used as a landfill until 2018, where the municipality canceled its relationship as tenants and removed the landfill and left the land, and at that time the municipality said that the land belonged to the state, and that was with the intervention of "Nature Authority and the Jerusalem Development Authority", and they claimed at the time that the land is not private property and belongs to the national parks around the Jerusalem Wall, and at the time the municipality terminated the lease contract on its behalf, so that the "Nature Authority and Jerusalem Development" could work on the land and include it in the project of the gardens around the wall, which extends around the entire wall of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Hamad added that in 2018, the "Nature Authority and the Jerusalem Development Authority" tried to work on the land, and the courts were approached to decide the ownership of the land, and the owner families have all the supporting documents confirming their right to it.
In addition to the "property proof courts" fought by the families of Hamad, Oweis and Atallah, a second court battle is fought to try to confiscate the land with the land belonging to the Yusufiya cemetery "the unknown soldier".
Hamad pointed out that the Supreme Court will hold a session next April to discuss the "land confiscation" case, while the District Court will hold a session to decide the ownership of the land next Sunday.
Demolition of a commercial facility
The occupation municipality in Jerusalem forced Emad Hijazi to self-demolish a commercial facility and warehouses in the Ras Amoud neighborhood in the town of Silwan, under the pretext of building without a license, to avoid paying fines and a demolition fee amounting to millions of shekels.
Hijazi explained that he was forced to self-demolish the facility after all attempts to stop the demolition were rejected, and he used "cutting tools" to carry out the demolition decision.
He explained that the building has an area of about 120 square meters.
Al-Aqsa…restrictions and settlers’ intrusions
On Wednesday, 130 settlers stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, during the morning and afternoon incursion periods, and they prayed during that.
The occupation authorities continued to impose restrictions on the worshipers' entry to Al-Aqsa, and placed iron barriers on all its gates.
The forces also continued to storm the towns and neighborhoods in Jerusalem, raiding and searching houses, in addition to spreading out in the streets of the city.
