Israeli police demolished Palestinian house, dispute escalated between the two sides
The issue of Sheikh Jarrah between Israel and Palestine is not taking the name of calm. In the latest case, Israeli police have demolished the house of a Palestinian family in Sheikh Jarrah, a sensitive area in East Jerusalem. Let us tell you that after the eviction of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah in May last year, the war between Israel and Hamas went on for 11 days.
Israeli police have said they have completed the removal of illegal buildings from East Jerusalem on grounds earmarked for a school for children with special needs. The police have said that people living in illegal places were given several opportunities to hand over the land with consent. A delegation of European diplomats has also visited the site, saying that in the occupied territory, the eviction is a violation of international humanitarian law. The police had to retreat.
Salhia family had threatened self-immolation
An AFP report says that on the morning of January 19, Israeli officials arrived at the Salhia family home and asked them to vacate the house as soon as possible. When the police tried to demolish the house, the members of the Salhia family climbed onto the roof of the building with gas canisters and threatened to set themselves on fire if they were thrown out of the house. Hours later, the Salhia family’s house was demolished.
What is the controversy about Sheikh Jarrah?
In the past few months, hundreds of Palestinians have been evicted from Sheikh Jarrah and East Jerusalem. In some cases Jewish Israelis have filed legal claims on land they say was taken illegally during the war with the creation of Israel in 1948. The Palestinians, however, maintain that their homes were legally purchased from the Jordanian authorities who controlled East Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967.
Israel settling Jews in East Jerusalem?
Israel occupied East Jerusalem after the 1967 war and later incorporated it into Israel. However, the international community has been considering Israel’s move as illegal. More than two million Jews have settled in the eastern region since 1967, increasing tensions with the Palestinians as Palestinians view East Jerusalem as their capital.
