East Jerusalem residents anguished as homes demolished to make way for biblical park

Ir Amim warns that if evictions proceed, more than 2,000 Palestinians near Jerusalem's holiest sites could be displaced in one of the largest waves of expulsions in east Jerusalem since 1967.

Ahmed Tibi says the aim is the Judaisation of Silwan at the expense of its Palestinian residents.

City councillor Laura Wharton says the lack of building permits for Palestinians is a key punitive element, noting settlers face different treatment.

Yusra Qwaider, 97, bedridden, says she wants to stay in her home as bulldozers approach; the family says the house is considered illegal by the municipality.

Fakhri Abu Diab, head of the residents' committee, told visiting diplomats that the municipality aims to demolish all 115 Al-Bustan houses by October.

Ir Amim notes 17 homes razed in 2026 so far, compared with 13 in 2025 and 24 in 2024.

The 64-year-old resident Omar Abu Rajab had his own home demolished in 2024.

Ir Amim says demolitions in Al-Bustan have increased dramatically since Hamas's October 2023 attack, with the threat hanging over about 115 homes.

The house in Al-Bustan where Yusra Qwaider lives was built in 1970 without building permits, a point cited in discussions of its legality.