Latest News
Targeted Demolitions Hit Village of Al-Walaja
Latest News, Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, March 24th, 2006

Al-Walaja was the subject of two house demolitions on Wednesday the 22nd of March, as Occupation bulldozers attacked the village for several hours. Occupation Forces arrived in the village during the morning, sealing off the entrance, and then engaged in the demolition of properties in the Ein-Jwazeh area. Owners and inhabitants of two properties were forced out of their houses at gunpoint as bulldozers moved in to decimate their homes.

The first house was 80 square meters and belonged to Mustafa Abu Ateen. He has been living in the building with his family, leaving a total of eight people homeless. The second house belonged to Khader Mahmoud Rabah and his family of 10. Rabah refused to leave their home of 110 square meters, leading to his physical assault by Occupation Soldiers. Dragged away from his house, neighbours gathered to defend Rabah, and clashes erupted as Palestinians arrived to protect their village from the attack. Muhamed Tayseer Abu Eteen was beaten on the back of his head with the butt of one rifle, causing injuries which required emergency medical care. Mahmoud Yousef Ma’ali and Mustafa Muhamed Araj, both 20 years old, were arrested in their attempt to save the homes of their neighbours.

In 1967, Occupation Forces annexed the Ein Jwazeh neighborhood to new “Jerusalem borders”. Since then, life for the Palestinians in the area has become increasingly challenging. Denied basic residency rights and without access to vital services, Palestinians in Ein Jwazeh are attacked on a regular basis and have experienced a long history of targeted house demolitions.

Even basic services offered by independent institutions have been destroyed in the attempt to ferment the forced removal of Palestinians in the area. Villagers remained steadfast to resist further attacks and asserted their right to life without Walls, Apartheid and Occupation.

Above: Occupation Forces demolish Palestinian homes