Initial information…settlers take over 10 residential apartments in Silwan
The settlers took over two residential building on Monday early morning in the “Middle neighborhood” in Silwan south of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Wadi Hilweh Information Center explained that a group of armed settlers raided the “Middle town” around 2:00 a.m. and took over two residential buildings (10 apartments) that were all empty of residents. The Center added that the first building is owned by Salah Rajabi and the second one is owned by Emran Qawasmi. Each building consists of three floors (5 residential apartments) and the two owners sold their buildings to Shams Eddin Qawasmi who is responsible for selling the buildings to the settlement associations. A 700-square meters land is attached to the Rajabi building. The Center explained that the two families left their apartments four months ago and the settlers took over the two buildings on Monday. The Center also pointed out that Shams Eddin Qawasmi was renting one apartment in Baydoun building which was sold to the settlers last month and had a role into selling the building to Elad Association. The Center said that the settlement associations supported by the Israeli government are attempting to take over the “Middle neighborhood” in Silwan under the pretext of being a Jewish heritage. The authorities are taking several way into achieving this such as taking over property and claiming that they are owned by Jews from a long time ago or through the “Custodian of Absentee Property” or through “buying and selling from those with weak souls”. The Center explained that the number of settlement outposts in the “Middle neighborhood” increased to four after taking over the two buildings on Monday; note that the first outpost is called “Bet Yonatan” and the second is called “House of Honey” and were both taken over in 2004. The Center mentioned that Elad Settlement Association took over 26 residential apartments on 30/09/2014 in the neighborhood of Wadi Hilweh in Silwan near the southern wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
