Evictions of Palestinians in East Jerusalem Raise Alarm

(MENAFN) Israeli forces forcibly removed no fewer than 16 Palestinian households from their residences in Batn al-Hawa, located in Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, between March 22 and 25, according to the UN human rights office on Thursday.

In a statement shared on the US social media platform X, the office indicated that the evictions are part of a growing campaign to clear areas around Jerusalem’s Old City of Palestinians and replace them with "illegal settlers."

The office reported that since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has forcibly displaced 28 Palestinian households, totaling roughly 160 individuals, from Batn al-Hawa, highlighting a marked surge in evictions since early 2025. It cautioned that many Palestinian families still face an imminent threat of being expelled from their homes.

The UN human rights office emphasized that forced displacement throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is occurring at levels unseen since 1967, raising alarm over what it described as "ethnic cleansing, racial segregation and apartheid."

It urged the global community to intervene to stop the forced removals in the occupied Palestinian territories, ensure accountability for breaches of international law, and uphold Palestinians’ "right to self-determination."

Since the onset of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 8, 2023, assaults by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank have resulted in at least 1,133 Palestinian deaths, approximately 11,700 injuries, and the detention of nearly 22,000 individuals.

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