Just days after announcing plans to dramatically expand settlements, including in occupied East Jerusalem, the Jerusalem city government is passing out demolition orders covering some 200 blocks of Palestinian apartments in East Jerusalem.
The orders will, according to locals, wipe out the homes of over 15,000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, with no apparent planning as to where they will actually go having been made.
The orders apparently came out of Mayor Nir Barakat’s office, and were issued in the wake of his reelection. The officers posting destruction orders also reportedly took multiple photos of buildings in the neighborhood, including a brand new school, though it is unclear if the school will be demolished.
The homes are near the Shuafat refugee camp and is not far from the al-Aqsa Mosque. Locals say they fear the government is planning to depopulate the areas close to the mosque as part of the ongoing Judaization of the region.
