Israel Demolishes Residential Building in Silwan, Forcibly Displacing 100 Palestinian Families
Israeli occupation forces raze 13-unit apartment block in occupied al-Quds as part of systematic displacement policy
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Israeli occupation authorities demolished a residential building containing 13 apartments on Monday in the town of Silwan, located in occupied al-Quds, forcibly displacing around 100 Palestinians, according to local witnesses.
Demolition Under Military Protection
Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli police escorted municipal demolition crews into the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood of Silwan, where the building was located. Occupation forces imposed a tight security cordon around the area to prevent residents and onlookers from approaching.
Several Palestinians who gathered near the site were assaulted by Israeli police officers as forces moved to disperse the crowd and clear the area during the demolition.
As of 9:15 p.m. local time in occupied al-Quds, neither Israeli police nor the municipality issued any official statement regarding the operation.
Weaponizing Building Permits in al-Quds
Palestinian and international human rights organizations have long documented how Israeli occupation authorities systematically deny building permits to Palestinians in occupied al-Quds, while fast-tracking approvals for illegal settlers.
This discriminatory policy forces Palestinian families to build without permits, only to later face demolition orders—part of a broader effort to reshape the city’s demographic and political reality.
‘Israel’ and Its Campaign of Systematic Erasure
The demolition in Silwan is not an isolated incident but part of an ongoing campaign of systematic erasure carried out by “Israel” across occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in the West Bank and al-Quds.
On December 21, the Israeli security cabinet approved the construction of 19 new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich openly stated that the decision was intended to block the emergence of a Palestinian state.
Smotrich, who exercises sweeping authority over civilian administration in the West Bank, framed the move as part of a strategy to prevent what he labeled a Palestinian “terror state,” underscoring the openly colonial nature of Israel’s settlement policy.
International Law Violations Intensify
A United Nations report has confirmed that settlement approvals during 2024–2025 reached their highest levels since monitoring began in 2017.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the expansion is entrenching Israel’s unlawful occupation, violating international law, and undermining the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
Rising Toll Across the West Bank
Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 1,000 Palestinians across the West Bank. Forced displacement has surged, with an estimated 29,000 to 40,000 Palestinians driven from their homes due to demolitions and military raids.
As of December 18, the number of Palestinians detained by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank exceeded 8,600, including 50 children, highlighting the accelerating scale of repression under occupation. (PW)