The "Al-Wa’ad" building: From shelter for 13 families to rubble… Homes collapse, and dreams are shattered
At 5:00 AM, the families of the "Al-Wa'ad Building" in the Wadi Qaddoum neighborhood of Silwan didn't wake to the sound of alarms for school and work, but to the sound of doors being blown open, children screaming, and a violent raid that shattered what little security remained in their homes.
In just twelve hours, a residential building that had stood for over a decade was reduced to rubble, leaving more than eighty people homeless, without clothes, and without even the chance to say goodbye.
In Wadi Qaddoum, the demolition wasn't merely an administrative decision but a full-fledged forced displacement operation carried out on the very day a meeting was scheduled between the building's legal advisor and the Jerusalem Municipality to continue negotiations about its status.
Instead, the raid was carried out without any prior warning, accompanied by physical assaults, humiliating searches, the terrorization of children, and the forced expulsion of women, the elderly, and the sick. The bulldozers then began their work in broad daylight and didn't stop until sunset.
And so, the four-story "Al-Wa’ad building” (13 apartments), whose residents had spent years seeking a building permit, was demolished in one of the harshest and most extensive demolitions in Jerusalem in 2025.
Settlers among the municipality's crews: Direct participation in the demolition and assault
According to residents' testimonies, the occupation municipality did not limit itself to accompanying forces but also brought in crews of settlers to help empty the apartments and support the expulsion of families from their homes. The settlers assaulted residents with beatings, threw stones, hurled insults, and forcibly pushed them, all in full view of the police, who provided them with protection without intervening. This scene reflected clear collusion and a coordinated effort among the municipality, the forces, and the settlers.
The building's residents... pain, sorrow, and no shelter
Samar Iskafi, a Jerusalemite resident of the building, said: "They stormed our house violently, assaulted my husband despite his cancer, terrified our children, subjected us to a strip search, forced us to change our clothes in the presence of the forces, and prevented us from taking even our most basic belongings before forcibly expelling us from the house, which was reduced to rubble."
On her part, elderly Jerusalemite Umm Amir Bader expressed her shock, saying, "It's all for nothing," referring to the demolition of her home, where she had lived for 11 years. She had paid for it with 15 years' worth of savings, enabling her to own it and live there with her son.
She added that the occupying forces assaulted her during the raid, preventing her from using the bathroom and taking her necessary medications. They forcibly evicted her from her home without regard for her age or health, despite her disability, leaving her homeless in the cold weather.
Another Jerusalemite, Nadera Abu Hatab, said, "The forces stormed our house and assaulted me and my children. They made my children sit with the dogs in front of them, even though my daughter has a respiratory problem and is not allowed near any animals. They assaulted us repeatedly, forcibly removing us from the house. They arrested my son and brother and assaulted my sister and daughter."
At 8:00 AM, three hours after the raid and the forced removal of residents from their homes, the demolition began. Bulldozers started the process, which continued for hours, ultimately reducing the building to rubble and leaving the families homeless and without alternative housing.
Residents confirmed that the demolition occurred just hours before a scheduled meeting between the families' legal advisor and the Jerusalem Municipality. This meeting was part of ongoing negotiations that have been underway for years to resolve the building's status, following repeated attempts to obtain a permit that have been met with delays and obstruction.
