The Jewish municipality of occupied Jerusalem demolishes two Palestinian houses in Silwan

The Jewish municipality of occupied Jerusalem demolishes two Palestinian houses in Silwan - Jerusalem

May 2002

The Jewish municipality of occupied Jerusalem continues its policy of demolishing Palestinian houses under the pretext of un-licensing. This policy is being carried out against old and new Palestinian houses in Jerusalem area without due legal measures. The following two cases are the latest example of this racist Israeli policy:

The first case:

At 06:30 AM, Monday 6^th, 2002, hundreds of Israeli police, border guards, special task forces and intelligence personnel rallied near the area of Al- Bustan ( garden) in the Palestinian village of Silwan to the south eastern corner of the walls of the old city of Jerusalem. They blocked all the roads and entrances leading to the village and prevented people from exiting or entering into the area.

The first house is owned by Mr. Mohammed Zaher Saleh Sirhan, married and heads a family of 13 members, including 11 children under the age of 16. The house owner, and due to overcrowding, decided to add two rooms with a total area of 100 M2. These two rooms were under construction when the Israeli forces came and performed the demolition process.

In an interview with LRC field worker, the owner's wife, Mrs. Sumaiyyeh, gave the following account:

" The whole family members were living in two small rooms like Sardines. We had no other option but to add two rooms to our house. However, hundreds of Israeli soldiers surrounded our house, threw us outside, and immediately started to demolish the two unfinished rooms without showing us any written demolition orders. My children were crying and they felt panic amidst hundreds of heavily armed soldiers and security personnel. The soldiers prevented my husband who was out side the area from approaching the house whence the demolition process was underway".

Mrs. Sumaiyyeh took LRC fieldworker on a tour inside her remaining two small rooms where she showed him some cracks in the walls caused by the demolition action.

The second case:

At the same time, on the same day, Israeli forces stormed the house of Mr. Abed Shehda Abdul Qader Abu- Sbeih and his brothers located in the area of Al- Ein Al- Fuqa ( The upper spring) in Silwan. The family comprises 13 members, including 10 children under the age of 16.

One room, with an area of 16 M2, was added to the house to reduce overcrowding.

When Israeli soldiers and security men stormed the house, all the family members were kicked out and Israeli cranes immediately started to demolish the room which was added to the house.

In an interview with LRC field worker, the house owner, Mr. Ziad Abu- Sbeih said the following:

" An Israeli officer approached me and said ' I have an order to demolish the addition', but he didn't show me it. On the contrary, he ordered his forces to start the demolition process which lasted from 8 AM until 3 PM during which all my family members were under actual custody with no food or water".

The family told LRC field worker that in 1968, a business store owned by the family was destroyed at the same place.

Since the occupation of 1967, Israel has been aiming at dismissing Palestinians out of their homes in Silwan and elsewhere as part of their policy of " displacement and occupation ".

So far, 30 Palestinian families have been displaced in Silwan and their homes seized by Israeli colonists.