OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
A specialized body warned of the continuous escalation implemented by the Israeli occupation authorities in al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan town in occupied Jerusalem, within the framework of policies aimed at displacing the Palestinian residents and imposing new realities on the ground to serve settlement projects.
The Jerusalem Committee in the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad said that the number of facilities demolished by Israel in al-Bustan neighborhood since October 7, 2023, has reached 56 facilities, including homes and other facilities, which is approximately half of the neighborhood’s real estate, in an unprecedented escalation targeting the evacuation of the area of its Palestinian residents.
It added that the occupation authority continues to expand the circle of its attacks by intensifying procedures for seizing private properties, relying on pretexts related to so-called environmental necessities, while projects are being proposed to turn the confiscated lands into parking lots for vehicles, amid serious fears that these procedures will be a transitional phase paving the way for establishing settlement projects and changing the urban and demographic character of the neighborhood.
The Jerusalem Committee confirmed that the aggressive occupation policies target al-Bustan neighborhood because of the strategic importance it represents, as it is the link between the neighborhoods of Batn al-Hawa, Wadi Hilweh, Wadi al-Rababa, and the center of Silwan, which makes targeting it a dangerous step that may pave the way for expanding confiscation and settlement projects in various neighborhoods of Silwan.
The committee stressed the importance of documenting the violations to which al-Bustan neighborhood is exposed to, in light of Israel’s practice of blocking websites and electronic pages, and obstructing the work of journalists, research centers, and specialized bodies.
It also confirmed that the matter requires exerting all efforts to preserve documents, maps, and data related to the neighborhood, and archiving and documenting them, in a way that contributes to supporting legal, human rights, and media efforts aimed at exposing the Israeli practices and defending Palestinian rights in Jerusalem.
It added, “We emphasize the necessity of providing material and moral support to the owners of demolished homes and facilities in Jerusalem neighborhoods because of its direct impact on strengthening their steadfastness and enabling them to face the occupation’s procedures.”
It considered that protecting al-Bustan neighborhood and defending the steadfastness of its people is a national, pan-Arab, and humanitarian responsibility, which requires urgent action at the popular, official, human rights, and media levels, to stop the Israeli plans aimed at changing the identity of Jerusalem and displacing its original residents.
It called on all national, human rights, and media institutions, at home and abroad, to redouble their efforts in supporting the people of al-Bustan neighborhood, and mobilizing Arab and international support, in a way that enhances their steadfastness in the face of the Israeli policies based on demolition, confiscation, and settlement, which constitute a blatant violation of international law and covenants.