Dozens of Israeli peace activists protested, Sunday morning, February 16, in front of the Central Court in Jerusalem in solidarity with the family of Palestinian activist Saleh Diab, who is threatened with eviction from his home in Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem. Diab was accompanied to court by MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash).

Saleh Diab accompanied by MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash) during the demonstration held in front of the Central Court in Jerusalem, Sunday morning, February 16, 2025 (Photo: Zo Haderekh)

On Sunday evening, Israeli occupation forces stormed the towns of Issawiya and Hizma, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem and fired tear gas canisters at citizens’ homes, causing several of them to suffocate. Eyewitnesses reported that the occupation army raided a house in the town of Hizma, northeast of occupied Jerusalem, and seized the phones of a few people and ransacked their property.

Israeli occupation authorities Saturday forced a Palestinian to demolish his own house in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, according to the Jerusalem Governorate. The municipality forced Hani Aweidah to tear down his house at Wadi Qaddum area in Silwan, purportedly for being built without a license. Aweidah carried out the demolition to avoid paying exorbitant fines if the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem carried out the demolition on its own.

Using the pretext of illegal building, Israel demolishes houses on a regular basis to restrict Palestinian expansion in occupied Jerusalem. At the same time, the municipality and government built tens of thousands of housing units in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem for Israelis with a goal to offset the demographic balance in favor of the Jewish settlers in the occupied city.

Although Palestinians in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian Territory that has been subject to Israeli military occupation since 1967, they are denied their citizenship rights and are instead classified only as “residents” whose permits can be revoked if they move away from the city for more than a few years.

They are also discriminated against in all aspects of life including housing, employment and services, and are unable to access services in the West Bank due to the construction of Israel’s separation wall. According to a report by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, the Israeli High Court could be liable for war crimes for their policies that led to the dispossession of Palestinians from their properties in East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank.

Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32452

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