8 hours of demolition in Silwan: 5 homes demolished, dozens of residents displaced
On Monday, Israeli bulldozers conducted a major demolition in the al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan, citing the reason of unauthorized construction.
Israeli forces, supported by municipal crews and heavy machinery, advanced into the town early in the morning, surrounding al-Bustan and deploying along its access roads. The roughly eight-hour demolition operation resulted in the destruction of a residential block with five buildings, including walls, rooms, and gates.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Jerusalem reports that the demolitions included:
• Two apartments belonging to the Shehadeh family
• An apartment belonging to Salah Abu Shafe’ (parts of it)
• An apartment belonging to Maher Awad
• An apartment belonging to Ahmed al-Abbasi
• A 50-meter-long wall belonging to Mohammad Rweidi
• Walls and a gate belonging to the Sarhan family
• Two rooms belonging to the Badran family (a bathroom and a kitchen)
The demolitions also harmed the nearby homes of the Zidani and Abu Rammouz families, along with the neighborhood's roads.
Residents stated that the demolitions displaced around 50 people from the neighborhood.
Fakhri Abu Diab, spokesperson for the Silwan Land Defense Committee, said a large force along with municipal crews and equipment stormed the neighborhood. They demolished walls, gates, and fences to access the homes scheduled for demolition. He called these actions a "demolition massacre" that has persisted for months, putting the entire neighborhood at risk of destruction, displacement, and expulsion.
He further clarified that since October 7, 2023, occupation authorities have destroyed 40 homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood, displacing 237 residents, with 115 homes still at risk of demolition. He explained that Al-Bustan is segmented into plans targeting the area for public gardens, Torah-related projects, and settlers' parking lots. He also highlighted that this neighborhood, located near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is one of the most affected by Judaization and settlement initiatives.
