Israeli occupation authorities demolished a three-story residential building belonging to the Bedran family in the al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing the Jerusalem Governorate, Israeli municipal bulldozers demolished the approximately 500-square-meter building, which contained four apartments. A garage and an additional room were also razed during the operation.

Residents were ordered to evacuate the building before the demolition, allowing them only enough time to remove their belongings.

The demolition is the latest in a series of actions targeting Palestinian homes in Silwan, where Israeli authorities have continued to carry out demolitions under the pretext of unauthorized construction.

Al-Bustan remains under demolition threat

The al-Bustan neighborhood has been at the center of a long-running dispute over Israeli demolition plans. According to the Jerusalem Governorate, dozens of Palestinian homes remain under demolition orders, placing many families at risk of displacement.

Israeli authorities say the structures lack the required building permits. Palestinians and human rights organizations, however, argue that obtaining building permits in occupied East Jerusalem is extremely difficult and that the demolitions form part of broader policies that have increasingly displaced Palestinian residents from the city.

Silwan, particularly the al-Bustan neighborhood, has witnessed an increase in demolition orders and home demolitions in recent years, drawing repeated concern from international organizations over the humanitarian impact on Palestinian families.(ILKHA)