A Palestinian home in the Al-Bustan community in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied East Al-Quds was demolished by municipality workers and Israeli forces on Tuesday, displacing seven Palestinians, including two children, while violating international law through forced displacement and deliberate destruction of property. 

"Israel must immediately stop forcibly displacing Palestinians and demolishing their homes and property in Al-Bustan and throughout the occupied Palestinian territory," the head of advocacy at Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)’s Middle East and North Africa, Nathan Carey said, urging that "The international community must take all possible actions to prevent further displacement of Palestinians, halt Israeli settlement expansion, and hold Israel accountable for violating international law." 

The Al-Bustan community, located near the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, is home to approximately 1,550 Palestinians and 150 housing units, where all its structures are not currently safeguarded and at risk of demolition. Due to its location and vulnerability to destruction, occupation authorities aim to increase Israeli settler presence and forcibly displace Palestinians.

21-day demolition notices

Mohammad Odeh's family is just one of nine Palestinian households in the community who received demolition notices from Israeli authorities who informed them their homes will be destroyed after 21 days. The notices are generally the final step in the demolition process.

"This isn't the first time authorities have demolished my building," Odeh, whose home was demolished first, explained. "My home is no different from those destroyed in Gaza. This is the reality under occupation." 

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Raeda Badran shares a similar story with Odeh, her neighbor. She resides in the community with her son, daughter-in-law, and two of her grandchildren, and received a final demolition notice on July 18 for the 25-square-meter extension to her house. Raeda resorted to the self-demolition of her extension after witnessing the destruction of Odeh's home, and fearing the potential trauma her grandchildren might face from the presence of the occupation forces.

The Silwan neighborhood is currently undergoing significant challenges alongside threats of demolition and displacement, including overcrowding and insufficient services. This year, 52 people have been displaced from the community, including Odeh's and Badran's families, since 19 Palestinian properties were destroyed.

Demolitions in occupied East al-Quds reached a record high back in 2023, with 229 Palestinian structures destroyed by occupation forces. As of August 2, "Israel" has demolished 128 Palestinian structures, including 61 homes, and displaced 330 people since the beginning of 2024.

Settlements in the West Bank and al-Quds: Violations of International Law

In a recent opinion advisory on July 19, the president of the International Court of Justice, Nawaf Salam, confirmed that the ICJ is "not convinced" that the expansion of sovereignty in the West Bank and al-Quds is "justified," and considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank and al-Quds a violation of international law.

In this context, Salam stated that the ICJ sees "Israel" treating East al-Quds as part of its territory and that "Israel" applied its laws there after 1967, stressing that the Israeli occupation is obliged to end its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as soon as possible.

The ICJ president discussed the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, explaining that the transfer of Israeli settlers into the West Bank or East al-Quds contradicts Article 49 of the Geneva Convention and that "Israel’s" confiscation of Palestinian lands and granting them to settlers is neither temporary nor in compliance with the Geneva Convention.

The ICJ emphasized that the expansion of settlements into the West Bank and al-Quds and the construction of the separation wall serve to reinforce the occupation authorities and emphasized that all new settlement activities must be halted.

Salam also pointed out that "Israel" has accelerated the annexation of lands and the establishment of new settlements in the West Bank, amounting to more than 24,000 settlement units. The court believes that the control over occupied territories should be temporary, and its continuation amounts to an illegal annexation of large parts of those territories.

Salam then reviewed the number of Palestinian units demolished by the occupation in recent years, confirming that approximately 11,000 Palestinian units have been demolished since 2009 under the pretext of lacking permits. He also pointed out that Israel's practices have led to the expulsion of Palestinians from the occupied territories, especially Area C in the West Bank.