Distributing 8 administrative demolition orders in Silwan
Joint teams between Israeli forces and employees raided neighbourhoods in the town of Silwan on Sunday and distributed administrative demolition orders to commercial and residential establishments in addition to a sports facility under the pretext of building without a permit. Wadi Hilweh Information Center was informed that the occupation municipality’s crews handed out 8 demolition orders that included 3 commercial stores, Wadi Hilweh playground and 4 residential houses. The distribution of the orders mostly took place in the neighbourhoods of Wadi Hilweh, Ein Al-Lozeh, Bi’er Ayoub and Wad Yasoul; the crews also uninstalled the water-meters of several houses in Wad Yasoul. A sports playground… The municipality crews hung a “sweeping and demolishing” order on the 850-sqaure meters playground of Wadi Hilweh; note that the municipality had threatened to confiscate the land in favour of the settlers and the residents decided to use the land for public interest in 2002 and built 4 barracks on it where 3 of them are used for horses and one for sports equipment. Wadi Hilweh committee explained that the occupation authorities are trying to sweep the playground and confiscate the land in order to connect the settlement outposts in Silwan starting with the neighbourhood of Wadi Hilweh and Al-Thori up until the neighbourhood of Jabal Al-Mukabber. The committee added that the playground is used by all children in the neighbourhood and there is no alternative for it since the neighbourhood lacks public parks and playgrounds. Car repair shops… The municipality crews also hung 3 demolition orders on car repair shops in the neighbourhood of Ein Al-Lozeh that are owned by the family of Nassar. Saeed Nassar said that he was surprised when the municipality hung the demolition orders on their stores and pointed out that the stores have been established since the 1990s. He also said that the municipality had imposed building violation fees three times on them with a total of 150 thousand NIS and the family was committed to paying them; note that the area of the stores is 300 square meters and 50 individuals are living off them. The family explained that they tried to obtain a license throughout the past years but to no avail, and the municipality claims that the land is “green”. The municipality also hung administrative demolition orders on 4 houses in the neighbourhoods of Ein Al-Lozeh, Bi’er Ayoub and Wad Yasoul; note that the houses have been established for 7-10 years and 30 individuals live in them.
