Day 437 Jerusalem during “Al-Aqsa Flood” Operation
On the 437th day of "Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, a large-scale demolition operation was carried out in the city of Jerusalem, and settlers continued to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the forced continued to storm towns and neighborhoods in the city of Jerusalem.
Demolition and displacement
The occupation bulldozers carried out a demolition operation that included 21 facilities in the towns of Silwan and Anata, in the city of Jerusalem.
In Anata, the occupation forces, accompanied by bulldozers and demolition crews, stormed the town at dawn, and after a siege and deployment in the industrial area in the town, the bulldozers carried out a demolition operation of a residential complex that includes 8 houses and a guest house in addition to a sheep barn. The complex belongs to the Abu Ghalia and Al-Dayafin families.
The demolished houses were home to 20 individuals, noting that they were built between 2008-2015. Years ago, the occupation authorities issued demolition orders under the pretext of building without a permit, and the family tried to obtain a permit, but the requests were rejected.
In the town of Silwan, large forces accompanied by bulldozers and municipal crews stormed the Al-Bustan neighborhood, closed the roads leading to it, and set up police checkpoints in the neighboring neighborhoods. Then, they began implementing a demolition operation that included:
(11 facilities were demolished and turned into stones and rubble) .... 9 homes and warehouses
• 5 houses for the Abu Shafe’ family, built between 1993-2000, with 15 members living in them
• A house for the Jalajel family, built for 8 years, with 4 members living in them.
• Two houses for the Abu Diab family, built in 2014, with 12 members living in them.
• A house for the Bashir family. The family began the demolition process late last night, and were surprised today by the presence of bulldozers to complete what remained of it, noting that the house has been standing for 15 years.
• A warehouse and parking lot for the Al-Tawil family. The family demolished the facility last Saturday, and were surprised today by the arrival of bulldozers to level the place and demolish the poles.
The occupation municipality has escalated the demolition operations in the Al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan in recent weeks, coinciding with the distribution of demolition notices to homes on a weekly basis.
In the past few weeks, the occupation bulldozers demolished the Silwan sit-in tent, which was set up in 2009 in rejection of the demolition and forced displacement decisions. Over the past years, the tent was the main address for the activities of the entire town, the diplomatic delegationa, and human rights organizations. In addition, the Al-Bustan Center was demolished, as well as the homes of the Odeh, Jalajel, Badran, and Abu Diab families. This was preceded by the demolition of the Al-Rajabi, Dweik, Rweidi, Ayed, and Abu Diab families.
The occupation municipality decided to demolish the Al-Bustan neighborhood in 2004, to implement a plan on its ruins "King's Garden", and in 2005 it began distributing demolition notices and warnings, and after international pressure and the movement of international and local human rights organizations and diplomatic action, the demolition decisions were frozen, and the residents began, through teams of engineers and lawyers, to submit structural plans to organize and develop the neighborhood, open streets, and allocate sites for infrastructure and public facilities "such as schools and playgrounds".
In March 2021, the occupation municipality suddenly rejected the engineering plans for the Al-Bustan neighborhood and did not extend the freeze on the decisions to demolish the neighborhood's homes, and thus the municipality renounced all agreements with the competent authorities and those following up on the plans.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
176 settlers carried out their raids into Al-Aqsa Mosque, through the Dung Gate, whose keys have been controlled by the occupation authorities since the occupation of Jerusalem.
Storming towns and neighborhoods
The forces continued to storm towns and neighborhoods in the city of Jerusalem, and set up checkpoints in its streets. The forces stormed the home of the freed prisoner Areen Za’anin in the Wadi al-Joz neighborhood in Jerusalem.
Prison sentences and arrests
The forces arrested Mohammad al-Zaghal, the guard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while he was working at Hutta Gate.
Mohammad Mahmoud, the lawyer for the Wadi Hilweh Information Center - Jerusalem, said that the court sentenced the young man Adam Abbasi to 18 months in prison, and the boy Tamer Masri to 18 months in prison.
