Zionist bulldozers storm Silwan as deadline expires to demolish 17 homes

Zionist enemy police forces, accompanied by bulldozers from the occupation municipality in Al-Quds, stormed the Al-Bustan neighborhood in the town of Silwan on Tuesday morning, with the deadline for the demolition of 17 homes expired after the Organization and Building Committee refused to grant them licenses, according to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center.

The enemy police closed the roads leading to the Al-Bustan neighborhood, surrounded the houses threatened with demolition, prevented movement in the area, and besieged a commercial store in preparation for its demolition in Al-Ain Street in the town of Silwan, while providing protection and guarding for bulldozers and heavy equipment used to demolish Palestinian homes in occupied Al-Quds.

Clashes erupted between a group of residents and the enemy forces, which suppressed the residents of the neighborhood after besieging it and proceeding to demolish a commercial facility.

The enemy police prevented press and media crews from entering the neighborhood and obstructed their work in covering the demolition of houses closely. Despite this, videos were documented of the occupation forces evacuating some houses of their residents and displacing their members, while the videos showed bulldozers and heavy machinery demolishing some houses, after besieging and preventing residents from approaching.

Al-Quds Red Crescent reported that many residents of the neighborhood suffocated as a result of tear gas canisters, and four injuries were recorded during confrontations with enemy forces in Silwan, including one with rubber-coated metal bullets.

On Monday, the deadline given by the Zionist enemy authorities to the residents of Al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan town in occupied Al-Quds expired, otherwise the enemy municipality will carry out the demolitions and impose fines and exorbitant amounts on the demolition costs and guard patrols.

Despite the enemy’s constant threats to displace the families of the Al-Bustan neighborhood, and to demolish their homes or to fine them if they do not demolish them themselves, they insist on confronting these threats and staying in their homes and shops, no matter the cost, according to what the Wadi Hilweh Information Center confirmed.

The deadline set by the enemy authorities for 13 families who received orders to self-demolish their homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan town within 21 days, out of 17 families threatened with demolition, expired.

Source: Agencies.