Israeli planners isolating Issawiya from city

A rights group in occupied Jerusalem warned Saturday that Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) have kicked off a new scheme aimed at isolating the city’s Arab district of Al-Issawiya from the rest of the city.

Similar isolation patterns were already witnessed by the Zaeem, Ras Shahada, Ras Khamees, Dahiya Al-Salam, and Sha’fat sections of the holy city, the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights added.

The rights center went on to say that the IOA already started a few months ago implementing a plan to close down the district’s northeastern entrance and attempted to shut down the main western entrance leading to the Jewish French Hill settlement.

Infrastructure and a network of roads linking Issawiya’s eastern entrance to the Ma’bar area, which was built on the western entrance of Sha’fat, are also under construction.

After Issawiya’s southern entrance was blocked off a few years back, Palestinians believe the changes were “retaliatory acts” the Israeli government was taking against them over their constant resistance of the occupation.

A new Israeli police headquarters was established in Issawiya on a road linking Jerusalem to the city of Jericho.

Authorities are planning to build thousands of residential units for Jewish settlers, industrial zones, and tourist resorts set to bridge the Maale Adumim settlement with the holy city over a land area of 12,400 dunums taken from the districts of Bethany, Zaeem, Tur, and Issawiya.

In a related context, the Silwan defense committee revealed Saturday it had received data confirming that Israeli authorities were planning to destroy homes in the city’s Al-Bustan district directly after the Eid holidays.

Committee head Fahkri Abu Diab told The Jerusalem Information Center on Saturday that a meeting will be held on Tuesday, the first day of Eid Al-Adha, between the Knesset Interior Committee, Israel’s Jerusalem municipality’s judicial consultant, representatives from the Israeli police force and nature preservation committee, demolition contractors, and far right members of the Israeli Knesset.

Abu Diab, quoting reliable sources, said the Jerusalem municipality has given the green light to tear down homes in Silwan and other Arab districts of Jerusalem.

The homes of Khalil Al-Abbassi in Ain Al-Lawza, Mohammed Ashour Al-Razim in Silwan, and Ayman Abu Rumaila in Beit Hanina were identified as some of the targeted residences.