by the ISM media team, January 30th

photo by AP

Early this morning Israeli bulldozers accompanied by the IOF started demolishing Palestinian houses in two East Jerusalem neighbourhoods, Issawiya and Attur, and the village of Eizariya, east of Jerusalem. Eizariya is having its land stolen, houses demolished and olive trees uprooted for the expansion of the Maale Adummim colony and the route of the Wall.

Occupation bulldozers first tore down the home of Mohammad Ahmad El-Hersh, where three families lived, over 100m from the route of the Wall. The families were told they would have to foot the bill of the demolition. When asked where they should go and live the IOF told them it wasn’t their business, that they should figure it out for themselves.

The bulldozers then moved to the area near the land razed for the Wall where a partly constructed house, used as an animal shelter, was demolished. The house belonged to Mahdi Qatmira. Mahdi was, however, more upset about the uprooting of around 20 of his olive trees: “buildings can be rebuilt, but these olive trees take a lifetime to grow and were destroyed recklessly in seconds.”

The IOF threatened to demolish some bedouin shacks in the same area. One of these shacks belongs to Khaled Bashat, a scrap metal merchant, who risks being made a refugee for the fouth time. The bedouin expect the IOF to return very soon.

photo by Reuters