On February 11th, Occupation forces destroyed the home of âAshia âAramin. The home, which was located in occupied Jerusalem, was demolished without prior warnings had been issued.
A large force of Occupation border police, accompanied by both mounted and undercover forces blockaded the home, locked down all entrances and forbade residents from approaching. Occupation forces carried out the demolition work without giving the residents a chance to remove their belongings.
This particular home was constructed 30 years ago, and the people have lived in the area for three generations. 3 years ago, Occupation forces issued demolition orders ostensibly because it lacked a permit. The orders were blocked when the people appealed to the courts. On the 11th, however, the demolition has been carried out without prior warning and despite the previous ruling.
Also, Occupation authorities stated that the talked about settlement freeze would not apply to Jerusalem and thus not apply to the addition of 750 settlers in the Pisgat Zeâev settlement and 150 in Har Homa. Pisgat Zeâev is located on Palestinian land in northern Jerusalem and Har Homa lies on Jabal Abu Ghneim in the south.
The same Occupation sources state that in the Jerusalem municipality city plans will be altered to include an additional 10,000 persons from the following settlements: 500 from Ramat Shlomo, 500 from Ramot, 1000 from Pisgat Zeâev, 700 from Neve Yacov, 500 from Talpiyot Mazrah, 2000 from Har Homa, 500 from Gilo, 4000 from Givâat HaMatos. The inclusion of Givâat HaMatos is currently being discussed by the District Committee for Planning and Construction.
Settlement expansion is happening in the city and comes parallel to the quickening of the pace in the ongoing work on the Ring Road. This road will link illegal settlements together, enabling the Occupation to continue expansion. The municipality continues to ignore the impact this will have on Palestinian neighbourhoods.