News|Israel-Palestine conflictIsrael forcibly displaces more Palestinian families in East JerusalemRights group says Israel ‘expanding ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem, throwing Palestinian families into the streets’.
Several Palestinian families have been removed from their homes in the Batn al-Hawa area of Silwan, located in occupied East Jerusalem. This development is part of a wider trend of forced displacement in the region, as reported by the Israeli human…
Several Palestinian families have been removed from their homes in the Batn al-Hawa area of Silwan, located in occupied East Jerusalem. This development is part of a wider trend of forced displacement in the region, as reported by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.
According to B’Tselem, at least 11 families have been evicted from their homes, which are expected to be transferred to the Israeli settler organization Ateret Cohanim. The Norwegian Refugee Council has indicated that over 1,000 additional Palestinians in East Jerusalem are at risk of similar evictions.
Since the start of hostilities in October 2023, at least 1,052 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank. Tens of thousands more have been displaced. The area of Silwan, situated near Jerusalem's Old City, has been the focus of efforts to expand illegal Israeli settlements.
In early January, the Israeli Supreme Court dismissed a final appeal from Palestinian families in Batn al-Hawa, paving the way for further evictions. The rights group Ir Amim has reported a significant increase in evictions, with settlers already occupying the homes of several Palestinian families.
Several Palestinian families have been removed from their homes in the Batn al-Hawa area of Silwan, located in occupied East Jerusalem.
The eviction process is based on Israeli legislation enacted in 1970, which allows Jewish individuals to reclaim properties allegedly owned before 1948, while denying Palestinians equivalent rights. B’Tselem reports that around 90 families, comprising approximately 700 individuals in Batn al-Hawa, as well as an additional 1,500 individuals from 150 families in the al-Bustan area, are facing imminent threats of displacement.
The ongoing evictions and settlement expansions are seen as part of a larger strategy to alter the demographic and political landscape of the area, utilizing legislation perceived as discriminatory.
Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.
