Fahri Abu Diab fought for decades to save his home, but when Israeli authorities arrived with bulldozers two years ago, he found himself helpless, writes BTA, citing the AP.
He and his wife live among the debris of memories: a bicycle where their former bedroom used to be; a garden where he grew tomatoes as a child; a portrait of his late mother, painted on a wall and created from a photograph that was lost during the demolition. Their mobile home, nestled among the ruins, is also slated for removal.
“They are trying to erase my memories, my childhood, my past,“ he said, wiping tears from his face.
For decades, Israel has been trying to expand the Jewish presence in annexed East Jerusalem - the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites of great significance. Israeli settlers are using discriminatory policies and claims based on archaeological evidence to evict Palestinians from war zones in the region.
Activists say these efforts have intensified in recent years as Israel is no longer constrained by US pressure and its focus has shifted to Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
More than 260 homes and other buildings were demolished in 2025, a 70% increase from three years ago, with some neighborhoods seeing the highest number of forced evictions in decades, according to Ir Amim, an Israeli anti-settlement group that closely monitors such practices. There have been at least 116 demolitions of buildings so far this year, the organization said.
This is “an intensity and a scope we have never seen before,” said Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at Ir Amim. “Israel can decide: yes, this neighborhood, we want to wipe it out. No one can stop us,” he added.
Israel captured East Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, during the 1967 Middle East war (also known as the Six-Day War). The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state, and the UN and most of the international community consider them illegally occupied.
Israel wants all of Jerusalem as its one and undivided capital and claims that its residents are equal before the law.
Palestinians in the annexed part of Jerusalem are entitled to Israeli citizenship, but unlike Jews, they must apply for it - a long and uncertain process. Most of them choose not to do so because it would bolster Israel's claim to the city. This leaves them with little opportunity to challenge housing policy, which is largely shaped by the Israeli parliament.
Human rights activists say that in addition to supporting the development of large Jewish settlements that many Israelis view as mere settlements, the authorities have severely restricted the growth of Palestinian neighborhoods, making it virtually impossible to obtain building permits.
Last year, 9,000 permits were approved for Jewish residents of Jerusalem, compared with fewer than 700 for Palestinian residents, according to Bimcom, an Israeli human rights group. Palestinians make up about 40 percent of Jerusalem's population and live mostly in the city's east.
Israeli officials say the disparity in the number of permits issued is because Palestinians rarely apply for them. Many Palestinians say such attempts are doomed.
When Palestinians build without permits, they face the risk of demolition. Meanwhile, settlers use a set of laws to buy or seize Palestinian property.
Previous US administrations have urged Israel to limit or halt settlement projects, which the US sees as an obstacle to resolving the conflict. US President Donald Trump broke with that tradition during his first term by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The US State Department has said that it is an internal matter for Israeli authorities to decide what policy they pursue in Jerusalem and that it expects them to follow due process and the rule of law.
The neighbourhood where Abu Diab lives - – – Al-Bustan“ - is located along a valley just outside the Old City, with the dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque visible above its towering walls. Named for the orchards that once grew there, the neighborhood is now a crowded maze of low-rise concrete structures and demolished buildings.
It is part of the larger Silwan neighborhood, home to about 20,000 Palestinians. The area is highly sought after by settlers because of its proximity to important religious and archaeological sites.
The Jerusalem Municipality says the homes in Al-Bustan are being demolished because they were built without the necessary permits in areas not designated for residential development. A park and public parking lot will be built there for the benefit of all residents, the municipality said in a statement.
The municipality also said it had proposed plans for alternative housing in the neighborhood, but residents have not shown "serious intentions" to reach an agreement.
Abu Diab has been fighting the demolition orders since 2004. Part of his home was built before 1967. But as his family grew, he expanded his home without permits because it was impossible to get them, he says.
In February 2024, police gave him and his wife a few minutes to pack their belongings before their home was demolished. Since then, they have been living in a van, their belongings in suitcases.
They are among the estimated 1,500 Palestinians in the Al-Bustan neighborhood whose homes could be demolished at any moment.