The demolition of Palestinian homes in the Al‑Bustan area of Silwan, East Jerusalem, has intensified with over 59 properties destroyed since late 2023, shewn by a heavy excavator striking a family house in the oldest quarter of the city.
Fayez Awad, 58, laments that his house—built over decades—has been reduced to a single floor, saying: “They destroyed the future and everything else.” His claim illustrates the personal toll as Palestinians are being forced from their homes amid the broader expansion of Israeli settlements.[BBC]
The Israeli Jerusalem Municipality has long planned to convert Al‑Bustan into a biblical theme park, the King’s Garden, managed by a Jewish settler organisation. The municipality has described the demolition drives as providing scarce public space, yet Palestinians say that permits are virtually impossible to obtain for Sun's people, who account for roughly 40% of the city’s population.[Bimkom 2025]
Half of the homes in this narrow street have been razed, and residents with pending eviction orders are forced to take on heavy sledgehammers to avoid exorbitant fines that can reach tens of thousands of dollars. The city’s legal system is also dealing with eviction cases backed by settlers, with 200 households (about 900 people) facing potential forced removal under Israeli courts.[UN]
Settlements extend beyond demolished houses. In the Christian and Muslim quarters, Israeli flags float atop buildings now used by settlers, while plans for a large ultra‑Orthodox yeshiva at Sheikh Jarrah and a New York‑style ballot of properties near the al‑Aqsa mosque compound illustrate broader attempts to reshape Jerusalem’s historic core.
Activist Fakhri Abu Diab, whose home was demolished, warns that future orders will destroy remaining structures, describing the municipality’s bulldozers as waging a war against the Palestinian presence. He notes that international attention has been diverted by wars in Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon, leaving Palestinians unsupported, a claim echoed by human rights NGOs such as Ir Amim and the anti‑settlement group Peace Now.
The EU have recently described the situation in East Jerusalem as “dire”, emphasising their opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and highlighting need for a shared city for Israelis and Palestinians.
For residents like Yusra Qweider, a 97‑year‑old in a home near the old city, the threat of eviction looms harshly. Her story—once displaced three times—underscores the human cost of the current policy. While the city’s legal authorities grant temporary injunctions against evictions, the lack of alternative housing deepens uncertainty and fears across the community.
