OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), In a new escalation, Israeli authorities issued demolition orders on Sunday for 14 homes in the al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan, south of the Aqsa Mosque, citing “unlicensed construction,” as part of a systematic policy targeting Palestinian presence around Aqsa.
The Jerusalem Governorate said that the homes house Palestinian families and that their targeting is part of a broader Israeli plan to turn the area into so-called “Biblical gardens.”
Authorities warned that this is a serious violation of housing and property rights, threatening the future of about 120 Jerusalemite residents, as Israeli expansion policies continue to encroach on long-standing homes and land.
The latest demolition orders follow a series of escalating measures. In January 2026, the Israeli municipality notified residents of its intention to confiscate large swathes of land in al-Bustan, including 5.7 dunums on January 1 and another 1.1 dunums on January 18, under the pretext of building gardens and parking lots, on lands claimed to be “empty” by Israeli authorities.
These confiscated plots include properties where homes were demolished in 2025, reflecting Israel’s use of a so-called “vacant land” policy as a legal façade to justify land grabs and establish permanent settler realities.
The Jerusalem Governorate stressed that this targeting of al-Bustan fits into Israel’s broader Judaization plan for Jerusalem, aimed at altering the city’s demographic balance in favor of settlers and cementing control over areas around the Aqsa Mosque.
It emphasized that Silwan is the southern protective belt of the Aqsa Mosque and its historical guardian, and any attack on the neighborhood directly undermines the historic and legal status quo in the holy city.
Today, about 1,500 Palestinian residents live in approximately 120 homes in al-Bustan, facing a systematic campaign that includes demolition threats.
Roughly 80% of homes in the neighborhood are under threat of demolition under “the Kaminitz Law,” including homes whose owners already paid fines prior to 2017. Despite this, the Israeli authorities continue issuing fresh demolition notices.
Since October 7, 2023, al-Bustan has witnessed unprecedented escalation, including the banning of prayers at a local protest tent (which was later destroyed), a media blackout, restrictions on local NGOs, and the demolition of more than 35 homes. Daily harassment includes road closures, military checkpoints, arbitrary arrests, exorbitant municipal fines, and even settler participation in surveillance and filing of demolition claims, creating an atmosphere of constant intimidation.
