Jerusalem Market. UN: Israel Must Stop Eviction of Over 80 Palestinian Families in East Jerusalem Human Rights
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in the occupied Palestinian territories has expressed concern that over 80 Palestinian families are at risk of forced eviction from their homes in the Silwan area of occupied East Jerusalem.
The unlawful application of discriminatory Israeli laws against Palestinians in the Occupied Territory has contributed to the adverse developments, the OHCHR said.
In all, 87 families, comprising some 600-680 people, are facing court proceedings initiated by settlers to evict Palestinians from their homes in Batn al-Hawa.
Earlier, the Jerusalem District Court rejected appeals by several families against rulings in lawsuits filed by Israeli Jewish settlers. The nine housing units in question are home to more than 80 Palestinians, including children, women, the elderly and people with special needs.
In particular, OHCHR is particularly concerned about the intensification of steps to forcibly evict the Shehadeh family, which consists of 15 people, including eight children. The court rejected a petition appealing a decision that obliged the family to vacate their four-story home in favor of settlers. On 14 July, the Shehadehs were given 20 days to vacate their home, after which the settlers would be able to enforce the eviction order.
Such cases, according to OHCHR, are examples of an ongoing, systematic campaign of settlement expansion and the discriminatory application of a number of laws, including the Absentee Property Law and the Legal and Administrative Affairs Law of 1970, to evict Palestinians from their homes, take over their properties and install settlers in Palestinian neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem. Some of the laws in use, according to the UN Office, date back to the Ottoman and British Mandate periods.
The OHCHR recalls that international humanitarian law prohibits Israel from imposing its own laws in the occupied territory, which includes applying Israeli law to displace Palestinians. Moreover, such laws themselves discriminate against Palestinians and violate Israel’s international human rights obligations.
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