Israel issues eviction and demolition orders to Palestinians in East Jerusalem
An Israeli policeman outside the house of the Palestinian Siyam family, as a family member looks on through the gate during their eviction in Silwan, July 2019
Israeli authorities in occupied East Jerusalem delivered eviction orders to some 30 Palestinian homes on Monday [20 January] in several neighbourhoods, official Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa reported.
All the eviction orders were delivered between Sunday and Monday, notably calling for the evacuation of 22 houses in the Old City neighbourhood of Bab al-Silsila – or Chain Gate – leaving almost 200 members of 22 Palestinian families without a home.
The houses, located on the path towards the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, had cracks in the walls due to Israeli archaeological excavations under the Old City, a practice that has affected the solidity of a number of homes in Jerusalem. Faiza Abu Asab, one of the residents of Bab al-Silsila, told Middle East Eye that Israeli excavation made the houses “unliveable”, as some sections of walls had collapsed or bore large cracks.
Abu Asab said residents were concerned that their homes might be seized by Israelis, as part of a policy known as “Judaisation”- seeking to erase the Palestinian presence from Jerusalem. “We have been living here for years, and we will remain steadfast in the house and will not leave it even if it collapses on our heads,” Abu Asab said.