The Israeli court refuses the plea of Wad Yasoul people regarding its resent resolution that approves the demolition of tens of houses in the neighborhood , leaving hundreds of Palestinians homeless , under claims that the houses are built on an area that they call the “forest of peace”.

Wad Yasoul neighborhood is located between Silwan and Abu Tor villages, most of the houses in the area were built without licenses , due to the absence of an organizational plan, in addition to the fact that obtaining a permission to build in Jerusalem is an impossible mission, which leads Jerusalemites –as a normal reaction- to build without licenses.

Families of Wad Yasoul, with the help of architects and lawyers, created an organizational plan that included the unlicensed houses, but the occupation’s court refused their application.

Lawyer Ziad Qawar, who defends the case in the Israeli court, said that several organizational plans were prepared, and applied to the Israeli court, but the court did not even consider them.

Hence, the occupation’s court issued several demolition orders targeting all the houses in the area. But the demolition was delayed, giving it time, to look in 3 pleas filed by families on the area, but two weeks ago the judge refused the pleas.

60 structures are under demolition threats, inhabited by more than 500 people, most of them are children.