[News] Hidden Motives: How Israel Causes Palestinian Houses in Jerusalem to Collapse

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/hidden-motives-how-israel-causes-palestinian-houses-in-jerusalem-to-collapse/>
Hidden Motives: How Israel Causes Palestinian Houses in Jerusalem to
CollapseFebruary 20, 2023
------------------------------
For years, Israeli excavations have been ongoing, causing damages and
collapses to Palestinian homes and infrastructure. (Photo: Wadi Hilweh
Information Center, Supplied)

*By Fayha Shalash
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/fahya-shalash>*

Kayed Alrajabi didn’t expect that winter would bring destruction to his
small home in Jerusalem. Heavy rains led to the collapse of a part of the
house’s roof and the injury of one of his children.

In his house, in the Batn Alhawa neighborhood, Alrajabi, a few days ago,
was surprised by the collapse of a part of the roof during heavy rains,
which caused his child to injure his leg. Eight people live in the house,
including his elderly mother.

“We were at home hearing the sound of thunder and trying to warm up the
place as much as possible when we were surprised by the collapse. It was
scary and we all ran outside,” Alrajabi told The Palestine Chronicle.

However, the rainy weather is not the only reason behind this, as there are
other reasons that lead to the collapse of Palestinian homes in the city of
Jerusalem, especially in the town of Silwan.
Digging Tunnels

Palestinians accuse Israeli authorities of playing a major role in that.
For years, Israeli excavations have been ongoing underneath Palestinian
homes in the town. Some of these excavations are publicly declared; others
are hidden.

According to the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, Israel has started digging
tunnels under Jerusalem’s neighborhoods in order to search for antiquities,
but the undeclared goal is to establish a network of tunnels that reach the
bottom of Al-Aqsa Mosque and shake its foundations.

Excavation work continues in a network of ramified tunnels under the Wadi
Hilweh neighborhood all the way to Al-Buraq Square, the western wall of the
Mosque.

The Center added that the digging and slitting of tunnels have been going
on under the Wadi Hilweh neighborhood for 13 years, and this led to
widespread landslides, cracks and fissures in several areas of the
neighborhood, especially in the “main street, Mosque and kindergarten”.
Additionally, more than 80 houses were partially damaged, while 5 buildings
were classified as “dangerous” by the Israeli occupation municipality after
their foundations were damaged.

Recently, the backyard of one of the houses in the Ras Alamud neighborhood
collapsed, posing a great danger to its residents. This event revealed the
existence of a large hollow space under the house, suggesting that Israeli
machinery has been excavating in that area.
Willful Negligence

In the Abu Tayeh neighborhood, similar collapses occurred under the houses,
and the residents miraculously survived, but this time the reasons were
different.

Ahmad Abu Tayeh, one of the residents in the neighborhood, said that the
cause of the collapse is the negligence of the Israeli occupation
municipality in Jerusalem, as it prevented the construction of a retaining
wall to protect the houses. It also prevents any repairs to the structures
under various pretexts.

“The Israeli municipality does not allow us to make any repairs inside our
homes. For example, if a wall needs support, we are not allowed to build it
even if it is dangerous for our lives,” Abu Tayeh added.

In contrast, the Israeli occupation municipality quickly grants the
necessary permits to the illegal Jewish settlement outposts inside the
town, and allows for any construction works that may be needed, Abu Tayeh
told us.

In fact, the excavation and construction work carried out by the settlers
leads to great damage to the old Palestinian homes. Moreover, after
refusing to allow them the necessary permits, the Israeli authorities often
ask the Palestinian residents to evacuate their homes under the pretext
that these homes have become dangerous for habitation.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center explains that there are various dangers
resulting from this. When the residents are forced to leave their homes,
the buildings eventually fall under the control of the Israeli occupation
municipality, which over time passes the ownership to the illegal settlers.

Meanwhile, the excavation work below the Wadi Hilweh neighborhood never
stops as demonstrated by specialized trucks that transport the dust emptied
from the bottom of the ground. “When Palestinians ask, through a lawyer, to
enter the tunnels and monitor the works, the (Israeli) occupation
authorities prevent them from doing so,” the Center said.

Jewish settlement groups claim that these tunnels are part of the search
for Jewish antiquities in the region. These efforts are concentrated in the
town of Silwan, which the settlers call the City of David.

Although, until now, no Jewish antiquities have been found to support these
claims, the digging continues, causing the collapse of Palestinian homes
and a constant threat to the lives of the residents.

*(Photos: Wadi Hilweh Information Center, Supplied)*

*- Fayha'** Shalash is a Ramallah-based Palestinian journalist. She
graduated from Birzeit University in 2008 and she has been working as a
reporter and broadcaster ever since. Her articles appeared in several
online publications. She contributed this article to The Palestine
Chronicle.*
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