House-demolition scheduled for Wadi al-Joz

House-demolition scheduled for Wadi al-Joz – Families call for support

The Amro and Tohta families in the occupied East Jerusalem Wadi al-Joz neighbourhood are calling for international presence on Sunday, April 19. The Tohta family received a demolition-order for their house and were warned that the demolition will take place on Sunday morning at 4 am. As the majority of the Amro family home has already been illegally demolished, they are afraid that the remainder of their house will be leveled on Sunday morning. Both families ask for supporters to be present during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Early in the morning of March 31, 2015, Israeli forces demolished part of the house lived in by Nuredin Amro and his brother, both of whom are blind and live with their families. There was no prior notice or demolition order and Israeli forces barely waited for the family to leave the rooms that were going to be demolished and physically attacked the family, including women and children. Since that day, the Amro family lives in the rubble of their house, crammed into the only remaining rooms, in constant fear of further demolitions.

The same morning, Israeli forces used the opportunity to also demolish animal shelters on the neighbouring Tohta family’s land. Only two weeks later, in the night of April 15, 2015 the Tohta family received a demolition-order for their house and was told that soldiers will come for the demolition Sunday morning at 4 am. With only a few days till the demolition and the holiday on Friday and Saturday, there is no possibility of taking any legal action against that demolition-order.

Both families are asking for supporters – Palestinian, internationals and Israelis to be present on the premises during the night from Saturday to Sunday. The Amro family, even though there is no demolition-order for their house, is worried that – just like before – what is left of the family home will be destroyed when Israeli forces are in the neighbourhood on Sunday morning. Supporters can either arrive at the family’s premises late Saturday night or very early Sunday morning. With part of the Amro family home demolished, they can not offer a place to sleep inside the house, on Sunday morning the roads to reach the neighbourhood are very likely to be closed by Israeli forces to prevent documentation of the demolition. Any person coming to show their support for these two families should try to bring recording equipment and cameras to document this aggression by the Israeli military.

Wadi al-Joz is located directly outside the Old City of Jerusalem, is in a vulnerable neighbourhood with three demolitions in the last three and a half weeks. Land across from this neighbourhood was already annexed by the Israeli authorities to create a national park encompassing an illegal Israeli settlement.

ENDS

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