Breaking news: Seizing two houses owned by Abu Nab family in Silwan
The settlement organization, Ateerat Cohanim, seized two houses in the area of Batn Al-Hawa in Silwan south of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Monday morning. Wadi Hilweh Information Center_Silwan explained that large Israeli forces including Special Forces, police, dogs’ unit and employees of Ateerat Cohanim raided the neighborhood of Batn Al-Hawa supported by a helicopter. They surrounded two houses owned by Abu Nab family to execute the evacuation order in favor of the settlement organization which claims ownership. Zuheir Rajabi, head of Batn Al-Hawa committee, explained to the center that large Israeli forces raided the houses of Abdullah Abu Nab and his brother Sabri. They evacuated the residents using force and used pepper gas towards the elderly Abdullah Abu Nab and detained him without providing him with any treatment and then started to remove the furniture and seized the houses; they prevented anybody from leaving his house or walking in the neighborhood. Rajabi added that four individuals live in Abdullah’s house while 5 individuals live in Sabri’s house. Rajabi also explained that the settlement organization claim ownership of the houses before 1948 when they used to be a Jewish synagogue. The family changed the nature of the houses and added new building to it. In 2002, settlers asked to get the building claiming that the tenant lost the “protected tenant” classification after they added to the building and requested to demolish the new building and pay rent to the settlers. Several evacuation orders were issued against Abu Nab family and the last order gave them until 25/10/2015 to evacuate the building. The houses of Abu Nab family fall within the plan of Ateerat Cohanim to seize 5200 square meters from the lands of the Middle Neighborhood (area of Batn Al-Hawa) under the pretext of ownership by Yemen Jews since 1881. They divided the area into 6 sections numbered 73, 75, 88, 95, 96 and 97. The settlement organization claim that the Israeli Supreme Court acknowledged Yemen settlers’ ownership of the land of Batn Al-Hawa. The center explained that the land has between 30-35 residential buildings where more than 80 families consisting of nearly 300 individuals live. All the residents have been living in the neighborhood for many years after buying the lands and property from their previous owners.
