Israeli occupation authorities forced, on Tuesday, two Palestinian brothers to carry out the self‑demolition of their homes in the al‑Bustan neighborhood of Silwan, south of the Al‑Aqsa Mosque, as part of the ongoing Israeli policy targeting Palestinian housing in occupied Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the brothers Nader and Hatem Baydoun were compelled to demolish their two homes after receiving threats of heavy fines and demolition fees if the Israeli municipality carried out the demolition itself.
The two homes, built in 1998, have a combined area of 88 square meters and sheltered 10 family members, including children.
The families said they had exhausted all legal avenues to prevent the demolition but were repeatedly denied building permits — a common Israeli practice used to pressure Palestinians into leaving the area.
Many families have already been forced to self‑demolish their homes in recent years to avoid fines that can exceed tens of thousands of shekels.
On Monday evening, Israeli occupation authorities forced a Palestinian Jerusalemite man to self‑demolish his home in the town of Silwan, south of occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank.
Residents of al‑Bustan emphasized that the forced demolition is part of a broader Israeli plan to clear the neighborhood for the expansion of the so‑called “King’s Garden” colonial tourism project, which aims to replace Palestinian homes with an Israeli archaeological‑tourism park.
The al‑Bustan neighborhood is one of the most targeted areas in Silwan, with over 100 Palestinian homes facing demolition orders.
Local committees in Silwan warn that the Israeli municipality is accelerating demolitions in the neighborhood as part of a long‑term effort to reshape the area’s demographic and historical landscape, pushing Palestinian families out while expanding Israeli colonial projects around the Old City and Al‑Aqsa Mosque.
