Clashes between police and protestors erupted on 29 June in Silwan as Israel demolished a Palestinian butcher shop, resulting in 13 injuries, according to Reuters.
The demolition of the shop was carried out under the claim that it was built illegally, while Palestinians claim their requests for permits from the Jerusalem Municipality are rarely granted in attempts to Judaize the neighborhood.
Earlier this month, residents of the area had received notices from the Israeli authorities to demolish their own homes within 21 days or face a fine of USD 20,000. Israel is planning to use the land for a ‘religious theme park.’
In a press conference, residents of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan said that they are against the self-demolition orders. “Today they demolished this store and this is a message that everything is possible and expected,” one of the residents says in the video.
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Palestinian journalist Ahmed Eldin posted a video of the self-demolition of his home, explaining that he had gotten a phone call on the same day demanding that the home be demolished before 5 PM, so Eldin had to bring in a bulldozer to carry out the demolition himself. “Instead of taking care of my wedding preparations, we have our hands full with this problem,” he says in the video.
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An estimated 1,500 individuals who live in Silwan, 900 of whom are children, are all at risk of being displaced and left homeless, reports Eldin.
According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, a total of 57 incidents of Palestinian property demolition, eviction, and seizures have occurred this year.
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