On Monday evening, Israeli occupation machinery carried out a large-scale demolition operation targeting dozens of commercial and industrial establishments in the town of Al-Eizariya, located southeast of occupied Jerusalem. Local sources confirmed that the campaign affected about 40 economic establishments, in addition to bulldozing three car wash stations, amid intense military reinforcements that imposed a security cordon on the targeted area.
With this decision, the occupation authorities defied a precautionary order obtained by a human rights organization to freeze demolition operations in the area until mid-May. The Jerusalem Governorate stated in a press release that the invading forces fired a barrage of tear gas and sound bombs at citizens who tried to confront the bulldozing operations, which led to clashes in the area to prevent shop owners from accessing their properties.
Earlier, the human rights organization 'Saint Yves' announced that it had obtained a decision from the Israeli Supreme Court to temporarily halt the demolition of about 50 establishments in Al-Eizariya. This legal move came after a petition submitted by the organization in defense of the rights of the owners of the threatened establishments, but the occupation army chose to proceed with the destruction before the end of the legal period granted in the judicial decision.
Official reports link these field attacks to a massive settlement plan known as 'Fabric of Life,' which aims to create alternative roads for Palestinians to isolate them from vital routes. Through this project, the occupation seeks to exclusively allocate the main roads connecting the southern West Bank to its center and north for settlers, thus entrenching the policy of apartheid in the region.
These operations also fall within the broader settlement plan known as 'E1,' which aims to confiscate thousands of dunams of Palestinian land extending between Jerusalem and the 'Ma'ale Adumim' settlement. This plan aims to close the settlement circle around occupied Jerusalem and completely isolate it from its geographical surroundings in the West Bank, which directly threatens the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.
Statistics issued by the Jerusalem Governorate indicate a dangerous escalation in demolition policies, with more than 180 demolition and bulldozing operations recorded in the Holy City during the last four months alone. These measures come at a time when Israeli authorities continue to pressure residents through verbal eviction notices and final warnings targeting the Palestinian presence in strategically classified areas.
Since the outbreak of aggression on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, the West Bank and Jerusalem have witnessed an unprecedented escalation in the pace of Israeli attacks. According to Palestinian data, these violations have resulted in the martyrdom of more than 1155 citizens and the arrest of about 22,000, coinciding with the destruction of thousands of establishments and the displacement of entire communities as part of a systematic policy of collective punishment.
The demolition operations come in the context of paving the way for the implementation of the 'Fabric of Life' settlement project, which aims to isolate Palestinians from vital roads and allocate them to settlers.
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Occupation launches extensive demolition campaign in Al-Eizariya, occupied Jerusalem