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By Fayha Shalash
Kayed Alrajabi didn’t count on that winter would carry destruction to his small dwelling in Jerusalem. Heavy rains led to the collapse of part of the home’s roof and the damage of one among his kids.
In his home, within the Batn Alhawa neighborhood, Alrajabi, just a few days in the past, was stunned by the collapse of part of the roof throughout heavy rains, which triggered his youngster to injure his leg. Eight folks stay in the home, together with his aged mom.
“We had been at dwelling listening to the sound of thunder and attempting to heat up the place as a lot as doable after we had been stunned by the collapse. It was scary and all of us ran exterior,” Alrajabi advised The Palestine Chronicle.
Nevertheless, the wet climate just isn’t the one cause behind this, as there are different causes that result in the collapse of Palestinian properties within the metropolis of Jerusalem, particularly within the city of Silwan.
Digging Tunnels
Palestinians accuse Israeli authorities of taking part in a serious function in that. For years, Israeli excavations have been ongoing beneath Palestinian properties within the city. A few of these excavations are publicly declared; others are hidden.
In accordance with the Wadi Hilweh Info Middle, Israel has began digging tunnels underneath Jerusalem’s neighborhoods in an effort to seek for antiquities, however the undeclared aim is to ascertain a community of tunnels that attain the underside of Al-Aqsa Mosque and shake its foundations.
Excavation work continues in a community of ramified tunnels underneath the Wadi Hilweh neighborhood all the best way to Al-Buraq Sq., the western wall of the Mosque.
The Middle added that the digging and slitting of tunnels have been happening underneath the Wadi Hilweh neighborhood for 13 years, and this led to widespread landslides, cracks and fissures in a number of areas of the neighborhood, particularly within the “most important road, Mosque and kindergarten”. Moreover, greater than 80 homes had been partially broken, whereas 5 buildings had been categorised as “harmful” by the Israeli occupation municipality after their foundations had been broken.
Lately, the yard of one of many homes within the Ras Alamud neighborhood collapsed, posing a terrific hazard to its residents. This occasion revealed the existence of a big hole area underneath the home, suggesting that Israeli equipment has been excavating in that space.
Willful Negligence
Within the Abu Tayeh neighborhood, comparable collapses occurred underneath the homes, and the residents miraculously survived, however this time the explanations had been totally different.
Ahmad Abu Tayeh, one of many residents within the neighborhood, mentioned that the reason for the collapse is the negligence of the Israeli occupation municipality in Jerusalem, because it prevented the development of a retaining wall to guard the homes. It additionally prevents any repairs to the buildings underneath numerous pretexts.
“The Israeli municipality doesn’t permit us to make any repairs inside our properties. For instance, if a wall wants help, we’re not allowed to construct it even whether it is harmful for our lives,” Abu Tayeh added.
In distinction, the Israeli occupation municipality shortly grants the required permits to the unlawful Jewish settlement outposts contained in the city, and permits for any development works that could be wanted, Abu Tayeh advised us.
Actually, the excavation and development work carried out by the settlers results in nice harm to the previous Palestinian properties. Furthermore, after refusing to permit them the required permits, the Israeli authorities usually ask the Palestinian residents to evacuate their properties underneath the pretext that these properties have turn into harmful for habitation.
The Wadi Hilweh Info Middle explains that there are numerous risks ensuing from this. When the residents are pressured to go away their properties, the buildings ultimately fall underneath the management of the Israeli occupation municipality, which over time passes the possession to the unlawful settlers.
In the meantime, the excavation work beneath the Wadi Hilweh neighborhood by no means stops as demonstrated by specialised vans that transport the mud emptied from the underside of the bottom. “When Palestinians ask, by a lawyer, to enter the tunnels and monitor the works, the (Israeli) occupation authorities forestall them from doing so,” the Middle mentioned.
Jewish settlement teams declare that these tunnels are a part of the seek for Jewish antiquities within the area. These efforts are concentrated within the city of Silwan, which the settlers name the Metropolis of David.
Though, till now, no Jewish antiquities have been discovered to help these claims, the digging continues, inflicting the collapse of Palestinian properties and a continuing risk to the lives of the residents.
(Photographs: Wadi Hilweh Info Middle, Equipped)
– Fayha’ Shalash is a Ramallah-based Palestinian journalist. She graduated from Birzeit College in 2008 and she or he has been working as a reporter and broadcaster ever since. Her articles appeared in a number of on-line publications. She contributed this text to The Palestine Chronicle.
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