Israeli occupation issues notice to seize land in Al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan

QUDS, Jan. 19 (YPA) – The Israeli occupation municipality of West of occupied Quds (Jerusalem) on Sunday notified residents of Al-Bustan neighborhood in the town of Silwan of its intention to seize one dunum and 100 square meters of land in the neighborhood, under the pretext of establishing a gardening and parking project.

The head of the occupation municipality, Moshe Lion, claimed in his notification that these areas are classified as “vacant lands” under the Local Authorities Law of 1987.

The Jerusalem Governorate warned in a statement that this measure represents a blatant legal manipulation aimed clearly at preventing citizens from using their land or demanding permits, especially after a series of systematic demolitions that targeted the area recently, stressing that the occupation seeks to create a legal cover for a silent process of seizure and ethnic cleansing.

The governorate noted that this escalation follows a measure taken by occupation authorities earlier this month, when they notified the seizure of about 5.7 dunams of land in the neighborhood under the same pretext, claiming they are “vacant lands,” while in reality these areas contain the rubble of homes that were once inhabited and were forcibly demolished by the occupation, with their owners barred from rebuilding or using them, in an attempt to distort the land’s status and consolidate control.

@E.Y.M