Israeli forces demolish retaining wall in Silwan in occupied Jerusalem

Occupied Jerusalem (QNN)- Israeli occupation forces demolished a Palestinian retaining wall in the Wadi al-Rababa neighborhood in Silwan in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

Local sources said the forces demolished a 10-meter long retaining wall in the perimeter of Palestinian-owned land in the southern front of the Wadi al-Rababa neighborhood.

Wadi al-Rababa neighborhood is located in Silwan, south of the Aqsa Mosque, stretching over nearly 350 dunums of land planted with fruitful trees and olive trees.

The entire land is private property belonging to Silwan residents and there are also 100 homes and one Mosque in the area.

800 Palestinians in Wadi al-Rababa, however, are threatened with Israeli forced displacement under the pretext of implementing the Talmudic Path project.

The Israeli occupation municipality in occupied Jerusalem issued decisions in the past years to appropriate about 100 dunums of land in the Wadi al-Rababa in order to build a national park and other projects for illegal Israeli settlers.

Located to the south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Silwan is one of the largest, oldest and nearest Palestinian towns to the mosque, as only the southern wall of Jerusalem, which is adjacent to Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, separates its northern entrance from the mosque.

Israeli occupation authorities have been demolishing homes for weeks in the area to make way for a biblical theme park, known as the “City of David.”

Palestinians say the demolitions are aimed at driving them from Jerusalem in an attempt to further “Judaize” the city.

Israeli occupation authorities, for their part, claim the homes have been illegally built. Yet Palestinians note that receiving building permits in the area is nearly impossible.

Silwan is located just over two miles from Sheikh Jarrah, another Jerusalem neighborhood where hundreds of families are also under the threat of Israel’s forced displacement from their own homes.