Israeli occupation authorities have issued eviction orders to 22 Palestinian families living in the Al-Mashahed neighborhood of Umm Tuba, south of occupied Jerusalem in the West Bank.
The families, comprising approximately 180 residents, have been ordered to vacate their homes by July 7, 2025, to make way for the expansion of the illegal Har Homa colony, which was built on land illegally expropriated from Jabal Abu Ghneim.
The eviction notices claim that the land is registered under the so-called “Jewish National Fund (JNF),” even though many of the homes were built with official permits issued by the Jerusalem municipality.
Residents have paid municipal taxes for years and hold permanent residency status, yet they now face forced displacement. Local resident Yousef Abu Teir stated that the decision is unjust and vowed not to abandon his ancestral land.
Rights organizations and legal experts have condemned the move as part of a broader strategy to entrench colonial control and reduce Palestinian presence in East Jerusalem.
The so-called “Israeli Land Authority” has posted signs barring access to parts of the neighborhood, “asserting control” over the area and “citing land confiscation as justification.”
The case highlights a deeper issue in East Jerusalem, where land registration has historically been incomplete or deliberately obscured.
In Umm Tuba, however, most buildings were constructed after obtaining construction permits, with verified ownership and municipal approval.
The sudden claim by the JNF has triggered a legal and humanitarian crisis, with families facing eviction despite having fulfilled all legal requirements.
This development coincides with similar actions in the Jordan Valley, where Israeli forces have issued demolition orders against Palestinian communities in Ein al-Hilweh.
These measures reflect a coordinated policy of displacement and land seizure across strategic areas of the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
While Israel continues to build and expand its illegal colonies, Palestinian communities and towns in occupied Jerusalem and various areas in the occupied West Bank continue to be denied the right to build homes and property under various allegations meant to prevent the expansion of Palestinian towns and neighborhoods.
Israel’s occupation of the occupied West Bank, including in and around occupied East Jerusalem, is illegal and violates numerous United Nations and Security Council resolution.
All of Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention in addition to various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
