Israeli High Court Orders Eviction of Two Palestinian Families in Silwan
The families have been given 30 days to vacate the properties, which are targeted by Israeli settler organizations seeking to expand control over Palestinian homes in the area.
Among those facing eviction is 79-year-old Asmahan Shweiki, a lifelong resident of Silwan.
Shweiki has endured decades of hardship under Israeli occupation, having lost two of her sons to Israeli gunfire, her son Zahri was killed in 1990 in the Al-Muraghah area of Silwan, and her other son, Nizar, was killed in 2000 inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Her husband also passed away in recent years.
According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, the eviction order was originally issued in 2020 but was frozen by the Israeli attorney general.
Recently, however, the case was abruptly reopened and assigned to a judge known for his far-right ideological leanings, who issued the eviction ruling without hearing full legal arguments from the families' defense.
Batan Al-Hawa is among the most heavily targeted neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem, where settler organizations, with direct backing from Israeli authorities, have intensified efforts to take over Palestinian properties.
These moves are part of a broader policy of forced displacement and demographic engineering in the Holy City.
The latest court decision follows a series of settler-related developments in the area. Last month, the Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality announced the near completion of a new sports complex in the Ma'ale HaZeitim settlement, built on confiscated land in the Ras al-Amud area of Silwan.
The complex, expected to officially open in 2026, is described as a 'safe and comfortable space for young settlers living in the heart of Arab neighborhoods,' a move widely seen as an effort to normalize settler presence in East Jerusalem.
Ma'ale HaZeitim was first established in 1997 under then-mayor Ehud Olmert, following the seizure of land owned by the Palestinian Ghoul family.
Since then, dozens of Jewish families have moved into homes taken from Palestinians, entrenching the settlement's foothold in the area.
Additionally, on Wednesday, the municipality inaugurated a new public park on land belonging to Silwan residents, naming it 'Moshe Arens Park' after a former Israeli defense and foreign minister with ties to the pre-state Irgun militia, notorious for its role in violent attacks against Palestinians during the 1948 Nakba.
This park is the ninth of its kind established on Palestinian land since October 7, 2023, as part of a broader effort to Judaize Jerusalem and encircle the Al-Aqsa Mosque with settler and municipal projects.
Local and international rights organizations have condemned these measures as part of an ongoing strategy of displacement, annexation, and settlement expansion, which violate international law and threaten the fabric of Palestinian life in Jerusalem.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=64931
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Days of Palestine
6 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
Over 500 British Spy Flights Over Gaza in Support for Israeli Genocide
DaysofPal—Verified British reports have revealed that the Royal Air Force (RAF) has conducted over 500 intelligence flights over the Gaza Strip since December 2023, under the pretext of 'locating hostages,' amid growing concerns that the gathered intelligence may be indirectly supporting Israeli military operations. According to Declassified UK, the reconnaissance flights—carried out by Shadow R1 aircraft—have departed from Britain's Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus, and have continued almost daily until mid-2025, including during temporary ceasefires. These flights, equipped with advanced imaging and surveillance systems, have sparked widespread controversy among UK human rights groups and members of Parliament, particularly after some missions coincided with Israeli airstrikes that killed civilians, including British aid volunteers in Gaza. While the British government insists the missions are solely intended to 'assist hostage rescue efforts,' human rights organizations warn that sharing such intelligence could render the UK legally complicit in operations that violate international law, including potential war crimes. Several MPs have called for an independent public inquiry, similar to the 'Chilcot Inquiry,' to investigate Britain's possible role in supporting military actions in Gaza, particularly through intelligence sharing or the supply of F-35 fighter jet components. Human rights reports indicate that these jets—of which Britain manufactures up to 15% of the parts—have been repeatedly used in airstrikes targeting civilian areas within Gaza. The UK High Court recently dismissed petitions demanding an end to these exports, ruling the matter as 'sovereign.' International law experts caution that continued support—whether intelligence-based or military—could expose London to global legal scrutiny, especially if it is proven that this support contributed to civilian deaths. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
6 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
'Freedom Flotilla' Launches New Mission to Gaza
DaysofPal – The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced it is preparing to launch a new aid mission to the besieged Gaza Strip, just weeks after Israeli forces intercepted and seized one of its vessels in international waters. In a statement shared on X, the coalition confirmed that its next boat, named 'Handala,' will depart from the Italian port of Siracusa on 13 July. 'The mission is for the children of Gaza,' the coalition declared, emphasizing the symbolic significance of the mission's name. The vessel is named after Handala, the iconic cartoon figure of a 10-year-old boy created by Palestinian artist Naji al-Ali, widely recognized as a symbol of Palestinian resistance and steadfastness. This announcement comes on the heels of the seizure of the 'Freedom Ship' (Madeleine) by Israeli forces at dawn on a Monday earlier this month. The ship, carrying humanitarian aid and international peace activists, was intercepted while sailing in international waters en route to Gaza in a bid to challenge Israel's 17-year-long blockade of the coastal enclave. The 'Madeleine' had set sail in early June from the Italian port of Catania, carrying 12 international activists, including Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Omar Fayyad. On board were critical supplies of food, medicine, and medical equipment intended for civilians in Gaza who have been enduring one of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes. The Israeli military later confirmed that the ship had been seized and transferred to one of its ports, in what human rights advocates have condemned as a violation of international maritime law. This was not the coalition's first attempt to defy Israel's naval blockade. The 'Madeleine' was the 36th vessel launched as part of the Freedom Flotilla, an international civil society campaign that has sought to break the siege on Gaza since it began in 2007. The vessel was named in honor of Madeleine Kulab, a young Palestinian woman who became the first female professional fisher in the Gaza Strip. She lost both her father and her livelihood in the wake of Israel's war on Gaza, which escalated drastically in October 2023. Her story has since become a powerful symbol of resilience under occupation and siege. Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
6 hours ago
- Days of Palestine
Palestinian Families Face Systematic Displacement in Northern Jordan Valley
DaysofPal – Israeli occupation forces continue to enforce a systematic campaign of displacement targeting Palestinian communities in the northern Jordan Valley, particularly in Khirbet Samra and surrounding areas. Families have been forced to abandon their homes due to escalating settler violence and military harassment, amid deafening silence from both Israeli authorities and the international community. Local sources report that Palestinian residents are being driven out under pressure from near-daily military training exercises, the burning of crops, confiscation of livestock, and the erection of settler grazing outposts. These outposts now dominate essential pasturelands and water resources, all supported by Israel's Settlements Council. Arif Daraghmeh, a researcher on Jordan Valley affairs, described the situation as 'forcible displacement through cumulative violence.' He explained that settler groups, emboldened by the ongoing war, are effectively acting as an extension of the Israeli military. Targeted areas include al-Farisiyah, Hamsa, al-Malih, al-Burj, and Ras al-Ahmar. In one case, the family of Yasser Abu Aram was expelled, with all their possessions and farming tools confiscated. Human rights activist Fares al-Fuqaha warned of the impending collapse of Palestinian life across 21 communities in the region. He cited daily violations such as land closures, livestock theft, and explicit death threats. In one recent incident, a settler security officer threatened farmer Burhan Bisharat at gunpoint, demanding he 'leave or die.' Bisharat likened the area to an 'open-air prison,' stating that settler violence has intensified dramatically since October 7, reaching levels unseen since the 1967 occupation. He urged for urgent material and logistical support to help Palestinian farmers stay on their land 'before it's too late.' Moataz Bisharat, a Palestinian official overseeing settlement monitoring in Tubas Governorate, said Israeli authorities are increasingly outsourcing land seizures to settler-run grazing outposts and regional settlement councils. These bodies report directly to far-right Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who reportedly instructs police to ignore complaints filed by Palestinian victims. According to Bisharat, land confiscation in the Tubas area and the northern Jordan Valley has surged eightfold in just four years. In one alarming case, a single settler in the Abu al-Qandoul area controls 17,000 dunums. Another settler has claimed over 28,000 dunums spanning Khirbet al-Hamma, Raba, Ibziq, and al-Malih. The northern Jordan Valley comprises nearly one-fifth of the West Bank—around 214,000 dunums. Of this, over 80% is now under Israeli control. Roughly 11,000 Palestinians remain, facing continuous threats of expulsion and increasingly aggressive tactics aimed at their erasure. Despite ongoing appeals by residents and activists, the warnings of a 'slow, creeping uprooting' continue to fall on deaf ears. The international community's inaction has left the door open for unchecked settler colonialism to further erode Palestinian life in the Jordan Valley. Shortlink for this post:
