Extensive demolitions and displacement: Demolition orders endanger numerous families
Self-demolitions persisted in the city of Jerusalem, with the Israeli municipality issuing orders, alongside the distribution of new demolition notices in Silwan, particularly in Wadi Qaddoum neighborhood. Recently, this area has seen a spike in demolitions aimed at clearing space for part of the so-called "American Road."
In Wadi Qaddoum, the Abu Sway family began self-demolishing their two homes after receiving the final demolition order.
One of the houses, 60 square meters, belongs to Jerusalemite Kamal Abu Sway. He lives there with his wife and five children.
The second house, 50 square meters, belongs to his brother, Karam Abu Sway. He lives there with his wife and six children.
The family stated they started by removing furniture from their homes and dismantling windows and doors before beginning manual demolition. This was done to comply with the Israeli municipality's order and to avoid paying demolition fees, which cover municipal crews, equipment, and personnel. Similarly, the al-Julani family was compelled to demolish two houses owned by brothers Daoud and Nidal al-Julani.
Family members expressed, "It feels as though our hearts were shattered before our homes. We are unsure of where to go, sleep, or sit."
They noted that the two houses have been standing for 15 and 17 years, with one measuring 80 square meters and the other 50 square meters.
Daoud al-Julani stated that the occupation forces raided the house on January 29th and ordered the family to complete the demolition by February 2nd, imposing a fine of 220,000 shekels.
Al-Julani confirmed that the family had been attempting to get a building permit for years, but the occupation municipality declined their request.
Yesterday, Saturday, the occupation authorities compelled the al-Razem family to demolish their elderly mother's home. She is nearly 100 years old and had received a final demolition order three days earlier, which gave her three weeks to carry out the demolition.
The family explained that the house has been standing since 2000 and covers 160 square meters. They mentioned that the head of the household, after retiring and due to declining health, built a basement house to meet his health needs. After his death, their mother continued to live there.
The family explained that a demolition order was issued at the time of the building's construction. However, they had previously succeeded in freezing and delaying it before it was recently reactivated. They also mentioned being required to pay fines totaling 140,000 shekels, plus an additional 32,000 shekels.
The family confirmed that their elderly mother is ill and needs a basement apartment suitable for her health. However, the occupation municipality's policies overlooked her humanitarian needs, leading to her losing her home.
Yasser Da'na, a resident of Jerusalem, was compelled to leave his third-floor apartment in Jabal al-Mukabber to avoid a self-demolition order. This step was taken to avoid paying high 'demolition fees,' which can sometimes equal the cost of the apartment itself.
Da'na stated, "I constructed the house seven years ago and began the licensing process from the start. Although work was initially stopped, it later resumed under the justification that I was following the correct procedures. Nevertheless, I received three consecutive building violation notices and faced multiple court cases and procedures. Recently, a final demolition order was issued, giving me 21 days to demolish the building myself.
Da'na added that the licensing requirements imposed by the occupation municipality were impossible to meet, noting that four people live in the apartment.
Demolition Orders
Israeli municipality crews, with police support, continued their operations in the Al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan. They handed out demolition orders to 11 families, following similar actions last week that targeted four other homes. The families have 21 days to vacate before their homes are demolished, which will result in dozens of residents becoming homeless.
The demolition orders affected the Abu Rajab, Odeh, Abbasi, Qweider, Jalajel, Aqeel, and Rajabi families, among others.
It was noted that some of the homes are 80 or even 100 years old.
Fakhri Abu Diab from the Silwan Land and Property Defense Committee outlined that the Al-Bustan neighborhood is segmented into three parts.
An area that includes previously demolished homes, a parcel of land taken for parking, and a larger zone set aside for parks and public gardens.
Abu Diab emphasized that these measures are not beneficial to them but mainly favor settlers, such as offering parking and gardens at the cost of their homes, as the demolition process moves from targeting individuals to affecting entire groups.
He noted that this plan falls within a settlement belt encircling the Old City of Jerusalem and its holy sites, including the Al-Bustan neighborhood in Wadi Hilweh, Batn Al-Hawa, Ras Al-Amoud, the Mount of Olives, and Sheikh Jarrah. This move is seen as a way to tighten the encirclement of Al-Aqsa Mosque through settlement projects.
