PA calls for ‘Western intervention’ to stop demolitions in Jerusalem

The Palestinian Authority, yesterday, called on ambassadors and representatives of Western countries to rapidly intervene to stop “Israel’s escalation in demolishing Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem.”

The call came in a message sent by the PA’s Jerusalem Affairs Minister, Fadi al-Hadami, to the ambassadors, consuls-general and representatives of Western countries to Palestine.

“I am writing to draw your attention to the dangerous escalation of house demolition decisions in parallel with the noticeable increase in the number of demolished houses since the beginning of this year,” al-Hadami said.

He pointed out that an Israeli court had given the “green light to demolish dozens of homes in the neighborhoods of Wadi Yasoul and Al-Bashir in Silwan,” warning that the decisions would “displace hundreds of Palestinians, most of whom are children.”

The court decision, al-Hadami explained, came after a Palestinian family was handed over a decision to demolish a residential building in Silwan’s Wadi Hilweh area, where four apartments and a medical centre are located.

He went on, adding that the 10 families in the Al-Tur town were also threatened with displacement after a decision by the occupation municipality to demolish their 5-storey residential building. “Hundreds of Palestinian homes in Silwan’s Al-Bustan neighborhood, as well as others, are at risk of demolition by Israeli forces,” the official reiterated.

Hidmi noted that more than 139 buildings had been demolished since the beginning of the current year, stressing that demolition decisions were “significantly increasing”. “The danger of evicting Palestinians from their homes and the process of ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem includes the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood,” he added.

On Tuesday, the Israeli authorities demolished a Palestinian-owned home in Silwan, under the pretext of “unauthorised construction”.

Palestinians, Israeli, and international human rights organisations say that the Israeli municipality is deliberately reducing building permits granted to Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

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