Jewish Settlers Take Over 2 Buildings İn E. Jerusalem

Groups of Jewish settlers have stormed and taken over two residential buildings in Silwan neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, a Palestinian official said.



"The Jewish settlers entered the two three-story buildings in Silwan under the protection of Israeli police," Ahmed al-Ruweidi, the advisor on Jerusalem affairs to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office, told Anadolu Agency.



"The seizure of residential units in Silwan is part of an Israeli political project that aims to Judaize the neighborhood," he added.



In September, Jewish settlers seized seven residential building in the same neighborhood – also under the protection of Israeli police.



"The district is seeing intensive Israeli efforts to seize the Palestinian houses," al-Ruweidi said, slamming some Palestinian residents of the neighborhood who agreed to see their property sold to Jewish settlers.



Meanwhile, local NGO Wadi Hilweh Information Center said that the two buildings had been owned by two Palestinian families who sold them to a broker. The latter, the NGO said, sold the two house to a Jewish settlement association.



"The two families left the two buildings four months ago, and today they are fully controlled" by the Jewish settlers, the center said in a statement.



Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It unilaterally annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state – a move never recognized by the international community.



Palestinians accuse Israel of waging an aggressive campaign to "Judaize" the city with the aim of effacing its Arab and Islamic identity and ultimately driving out its Palestinian inhabitants.



International law considers the West Bank and East Jerusalem occupied territories taken by Israel in 1967, viewing all Jewish settlement building as illegitimate.



Palestinian negotiators insist that Israeli settlement building must stop before the resumption of stalled peace talks with Israel.



By Abdel-Raouf Arnaout



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kudüs